


Not Just My Master

by Wandering_Letters



Category: Fate/Grand Order
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-15 21:32:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 39,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15422010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wandering_Letters/pseuds/Wandering_Letters
Summary: A collection of one shots, each depicting the relationship between a Servant and her Master. Contains varying content between Teens and Mature.Contains sexual content. OC Masters X Servants. Feel free to make requests if you don't see a Servant you fancy!





	1. The Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mature content warning for this chapter!

**Not Just My Master- Queen Of Sheba (Caster)**

**~ o ~**

_If you honor and serve the people who work for you,_

_They will honor and serve you._

**~ o ~**

“You’re finally awake Carleus. Good to see you’re still in one piece after that mission.”

I shook my head clear of grogginess as I sat up to see Dr. Romani, sitting in a chair next to my bed.

“What happened?” I asked.

“You ended up passing out because you almost ran out of Mana. The only reason you’re not in Fuyuki right now is because Caster managed to teleport the two of you to the rayshift point.” He explained.

My eyes widened.

“Is… is she okay?” I asked.

He smiled at me and nodded.

“Worried sick about you, but she’s perfectly fine.”

I sighed in sweet relief as I remembered the battle that we had just fought. We were cornered by at least a dozen Assassin class Shadow Servants and I knew that I was running out of Mana considering how long we were in the area. In an attempt to protect her, because she was getting hurt, I used my Heal Command Spell, only for me to drop to my knees, not realizing that I didn’t have the Mana to use it safely. As usual, she was faithful and dedicated, immediately coming to my aid.

However, we could not complete our mission because I was reckless. I chose to continue fighting despite our dwindling resources and I chose to use all of that Mana. It was a foolish move, but now I knew my true limits. Now I understood that I was not unstoppable just because I had an incredibly powerful Servant. Now… I understood that I was very much mortal and that I could’ve lost everything because of my desire to prove myself.

“Now that you’re awake, I’ll go and get her. She was watching over you for the two days that you were asleep and I just managed to convince her to take a break two hours ago.” Said Dr. Romani.

“Thanks for everything doc.” I said.

He smiled at me and nodded.

“It’s what I’m here for. Da Vinci will come and give you a checkup in a few hours so look out for her.” He said.

With a final nod, he left the room. I took the chance to get to my feet and put on a shirt, only realizing that I wasn’t wearing one since I had all of the pads attached to my chest. After slipping into a comfortable t-shirt and a pair of jeans, I sat down on my bed and awaited Caster’s arrival. Surely enough, she entered the room only a few minutes later. She came in with a worried look on her face but upon meeting my eyes, her face softened.

“Master… you’re alright!” She said.

“Yeah… I’m sorry… I was ver-”

I didn’t even get to finish my sentence before she closed the distance between us and captured me in a warm hug. She pushed her head into my neck and locked her arms around my back.

“Don’t you **ever** do that again! Do you hear me! I’ve **_never_ ** been so worried in all my days! If you do that again, I’ll **_forbid_ ** you from doing anymore outings in the Singularities!”

There it was: her motherly instincts. Caster always had a caring streak, despite her usual attitude of success first and everything else after. It was moments like these that really amazed me because it showed just how far we’ve come as Master and Servant.

I first summoned her over year ago and even though I wasn’t sure I would be worthy of her, she chose to trust in me and saw me as a partner rather than a servant to her royalty. Of course, she was very cold at first, treating me as simply a means to an end, though at the end of the day she understood that I was the Master and she the Servant. It took us a good two months of time together before we really started to click.

I think it all began when I decided to help out with the Fuyuki Singularity and I decided to take her with me. And **only** her. She obviously questioned my actions, noting that I liked to go with a team of Servants and she was used to working with others, such as Hassan Of Serenity and Hans Christian Anderson. However, I saw this as an opportunity to deepen our bond because I truly began to appreciate how great of a person she was. She always encouraged me to do my best in everything and even when I failed, she didn’t blame me. She always had this uncanny wisdom and knew the correct things to say in any situation. More and more, I became attached to her and I started confiding in her. She in turn, began to get closer to me as well. She knew how uncomfortable it made me to see her walk around in her typical outfit, so she chose a casual outfit for herself whenever we were back home in Chaldea, only ever changing into her usual outfit when we were going on our assignments.

We made a habit of sitting and eating lunch together every two days, because she decided to help Chaldea acquire resources to do other things, such as create virtual areas where other Masters and Servants could go to relax. She even oversaw some of the construction, just to ensure that everything went smoothly. On more than one occasion, she used her Territory Generation skill to help younger Masters grasp the basics of gathering Mana. Overall, she became an asset to both me and to all of The Grand Order.

However, the turning point would be two months ago, when we went to Fuyuki to investigate an abnormality. For the first time, Caster met her match when she was attacked by a powerful Rider Class Shadow Servant. I had gotten into the habit of taking only her with me on our assignments to Fuyuki, since it tended to have a lot of Assassin Class enemies, but I was caught off guard. I was forced to retreat with her in tow. And I nearly lost her…

From that day forth, I tried my best to not let my confidence get the better of me, because we all know that it is a slow and insidious killer. One day, I would make a mistake that would cost me everything and now that I had grown so closer to her, the last thing I wanted for that to happen.

And now, here we are. With her in my arms, quietly sobbing against my chest. I let out a deep sigh and nodded.

“I’m so sorry Caster… really I am. I should’ve been more-”

“No Master. It was my fault. I should’ve realized that there were so many of them coming and I should’ve been the one to issue a retreat. You are not as adept as I am at sensing the presence of other Servants. I knew they were there… but I was too confident in my abilities. That will not happen again, I swear it.” She interjected.

I shook my head and smiled at her.

“It seems every time we go out, one of us seems to be out of sync.” I began.

She released her hold and scooted a small distance away before nodding.

“...We’ve been together for more than a year and yet, we’re still making simple mistakes. We have to do better.” She said.

“Agreed. But thankfully, our next assignment won’t be for a couple of days so we have some downtime… I was hoping you’d be open to a suggestion?” I asked.

She looked at me with genuine curiosity.

“A suggestion? For what Master?” She asked.  
“I wanted to spend some time with you… but not working. Just relaxing and having some fun. I believe that the construction of the virtual town of London is complete, so I was thinking we could go there. What do you say?” I said.

I didn’t realize how fast my heart was beating upon saying that and I had to turn away from her to maintain my composure. It was far different from my usual requests, which were normally eating lunch or taking a walk around the compound. However, I heard her laugh softly. I turned back, only to see her smiling at me.

“That sounds wonderful Master. I’d be more than happy to go with you. Should I get the others as well?” She asked.

I shook my head, laughing inwardly at her question considering what I meant about it being us.

“No. I want it to be you and I. No one else. Is that alright with you?” I asked.

For a brief moment, I could’ve sworn I saw a blush on her cheeks but she quickly regained her composure and closed her eyes.

“...This… is very unusual Master. Normally, we would go anywhere with our other partners. Is there a reason you want it to be only us?” She asked.

Seeing a rare opportunity to get ahead of her, I smiled.

“If you go, I’ll explain everything when we get there.” I said.

She immediately smiled and shook her head.

“You’re a crafty one Master… alright. I will accompany you. When will we go?” She asked.  
“Right now. Let’s pack a bag for each of us and go, before anyone else gets the idea.”

She got to her feet before bowing. However, as she turned to leave, she paused for a moment and turned back.

“Master… could I ask something of you?” She began.

“Of course Caster. Anything.” I replied with a nod.

She blushed and it was quite visible this time.

“... I’d like you to call me by my name. You remember what it is do you not?” She asked.

I couldn’t help but blush myself as I cleared my throat and nodded.

“Alright… **Tituba**.” I replied.

She closed her eyes, as if she felt very satisfied upon hearing her name and nodded.

“Thank you Master…” She said.  
“The name is Carleus, but you can call me Carl. No more Master if I can’t call you Caster. Fair enough?” I asked.

She blushed profusely, evidently caught off guard yet again. However, she bowed slightly.

“I… I cannot grant that wish immediately Master. I’ve referred to you as such for all my time with you. I… will try… **Carleus**. I prefer that name… the other sounds far too casual for my liking.”

“Carleus it is. I’ll meet you at the Rayshift Chamber in a few minutes?” I asked.

She nodded and quickly made her way out of the room.

**…**

**Three Hours Later- The Four Seasons Hotel Penthouse Suite, London Simulation**

“Tituba? Are you awake?” I called out.

“I’m in here Master. I ate a little too much so I took a short nap.” She replied.

I stood at the door, not budging it another inch knowing that she was likely not decent right now. I didn’t really care that she didn’t call me by my name; it was a habit that she had developed and for her to break it now, it would be rather unrealistic.

“Well, I brought you some cheesecake from the restaurant. Compliments of the chef.”

“Are you trying to make me gain weight?” She replied in disbelief.

I chuckled loudly.

“You don’t gain weight Tituba. You burn all of it off almost effortlessly. I wish I had that ability actually.” I retorted.

“...Is there a reason you’re not coming in?” She asked.

“...I’m not sure if you’re dressed. Is it alright?” I inquired.

“I don’t have a problem with you seeing me with less clothing Master. You should know that by now.” She replied.

I cleared my throat before opening the door, the cheesecake in my left hand as my eyes took in the sight in front of me.

Tituba had taken off the form fitting red dress she wore to dinner a couple hours ago and was wearing… what looked like one of my t-shirts. It was too big for her in just about every aspect; the collar was down to her shoulders and it was long enough to cover her body right down to her thighs. If she wasn’t kneeling in the way she was… I had no doubts that I’d be able to see her underwear. I could see the black bra straps where the shirt failed to cover, but I did my best to ignore just how attractive she was in favor of giving her the cake.

I had learned her favorite foods over the year we’ve been partners and cheesecake was one of the few things that she absolutely could **not** refuse. I sat down on the bed and placed it next to her on the bedside table. She smiled at me and nodded.

“Thank you Master. You’re so kind to me.” She said with a delighted smile.

“Always… but now onto a more serious matter. The real reason I wanted us to come here is because… well, I wanted to talk to you about something.” I began.

She scooted closer to me and looked at me, her face now serious and her dark aqua eyes focused on mine.

“Is it something serious Master? Is there some sort of problem arising that I should be aware of?” She asked.

I shook my head.

“No… nothing like that. It’s really about… well, _you and I_.” I began.

She raised an eyebrow before shaking her head.

“I don’t understand. I thought all was well? That no secret was left untold.” She said in a half-panicked tone.

I shook my head once again, sighing deeply as I tried to get a handle on my growing emotions.

“Well… I wasn’t entirely honest with you about one thing. In fact… I don’t think I was honest with **myself** about it either.” I said with a deep sigh.

“What is it Master?” She reiterated.

“It’s about… things between us. I… I guess I’ve thought about this too much and I just want to know something.” I continued.

I took another deep breath and gathered my courage.

“We’ve been partners for a long time now… and we’ve been through a great deal. We’ve had close calls, bad times… arguments and everything in between. But… lately, I’ve thought of you less as my Servant and more of… well, my best friend.” I explained.

“I appreciate the relationship we have as well Master. I treasure nothing more than it in fact… because I’ve never known such kindness until the day I met you.” She replied.

I swallowed hard, now even more terrified of saying anything to her because there was a good chance… that the next few words could destroy everything we’ve built up. It could change everything… but this warmth. This warm feeling I got whenever I laid eyes on her, it was something I could no longer ignore.

“...It’s much more than that Tituba… and the last thing I want is for everything we have to go up in flames. But if I don’t say something to you right now… I might just lose my mind. So I’m going to do the most selfish thing I’ve ever done in my life.” I said.

Her eyes widened and she leaned back slightly, but didn’t shy away in the slightest. Her eyes radiated curiosity, but she too looked relatively scared.

“...I’ve grown to see you in a much different light Tituba. Do you know why I risked my life to protect you?” I asked.  
“Because of our contract. You forgot that I’m a Servant and for one moment, you chose to protect me even though your death would’ve resulted in me disappearing regardless. You lost your ability to think because you didn’t want to lose me.” She explained.

She was half right with her analysis and if there was one thing I admired about her, it was her intelligence. She was easily the smartest person apart from Dr. Romani and Da Vinci that I knew. She had come up with plans, strategies and helped Chaldea organize a great deal of their efforts in making Masters more comfortable. She was undoubtedly, a dedicated worker in every sense of the word. However… she didn’t seem aware of the true meaning.

“You’re mostly correct… but it’s not just because I didn’t want to lose you.”

I drew in a nervous breath and steeled my nerves.

“Then wha-”  
“ **I like you** . Alright? **_I like you_ **.” I snapped.

She recoiled slightly, her eyes now completely turned to disbelief.

“It doesn’t make a lot of sense considering the nature of our relationship… you’re bound to me and I to you. You are supposed to serve me as if I were the one in control but whenever it comes to you… or any Servant I happen to call upon, I don’t see any of you as your namesakes. Each and every one of you mean something to me… but for you Tituba? You’re a cut above the rest. And that’s why it’s so difficult for me to say all of this… because I don’t want to lose what we have.”

I drew in another breath.

“When I saw you that night… fighting despite how injured you were, my mind decided to drift and begin to wonder what would happen if I couldn’t protect you… and I refused to have a thought of a world without you in it so that’s why I didn’t hesitate to put my life on the line for you. To me, you’re not expendable… not by a longshot.” I continued.

I then turned away, my hands grabbing fistfuls of the sheets.

“You’re not just a Servant to me Tituba. You’re my best friend, my partner… my confidant. And I want so much more… and even though as your Master, I could snap my fingers and make it all happen. But no… I would never force you to do anything you don’t want to do and that’s why I understand if you don’t want things to progress.”

I looked up at the ceiling, now feeling the weight come off of my shoulders as I had finally confessed how I felt about her. Feelings that were months in the making… and heck, even potentially long before that, were now out in the open.

“If you don’t want things to progress, I’ll always consider you to be my closest friend… but I wasn’t about to go another day without letting you know how much I care about you Tituba. And as someone who cares about you, I’m not going to leave you in the dark concerning anything… I’ve hidden this for months and I feel guilty enough for doing that… so now you know.”

I got to my feet, feeling as if I needed to make myself scarce. My bedroom was downstairs because I chose to give her the upstairs one and knowing how much she liked to think about everything, I figured it would be wise to give her some time.

“...I’m sorry for dumping this on you. I’ll… go to bed now. You obviously nee-”

“Master?”

I turned around to see that she had reached the edge of the bed and was kneeling fully, her head nearly level with mine as I saw the brightest smile I had ever seen grace her face.

“...You confirmed all of my suspicions. And some of our partners had given me insight into all this… but I always thought that I couldn’t be worthy of such happiness. I always believed that I was the one who needed to prove myself to you. To prove that I was a worthy Servant to my beloved Master… and you admitting everything you just did brings such warmth to my heart, I cannot think of the words to describe it.”

She grabbed one of my hands and brought it to her chest, just above her left breast as she closed her eyes.

“...Can you feel that? I’ve never felt anything like this… and you are the only one who’s ever managed to make me feel this way. I’ve never had to pause and consider my actions unless you were involved in the plan. I will not lie to you Master, when you first summoned me… I had my doubts that we would be a compatible pair. But you quickly showed me how good of a man you truly are. You still have a great deal to learn… **_especially_ ** about women.” She said with a playful wink.

I laughed nervously and withdrew my hand before I started to shake from my anxiety. She however, gave me only a split second to recover as she grabbed the other hand and pulled me towards her. I allowed her to and she pressed her head into my chest and hugged me.

“...My feelings for you… are **real**. And you choosing to let me decide everything I’ve done from then till now is something I cannot thank you enough for. I’m aware of other Masters who do not give their Servants the chance to let their personalities out. However… you’ve done that for everyone, but most of all me… which is why my answer to you is…”

She eased off and raised herself to my head level before putting a hand on my cheek.

“...I accept your feelings Master… and I would love to see where things will go from this day forward. Because I’ve liked you for a very long time… I was just too caught up in other matters to give it the time and thought it deserved.”

Before I could retort, she placed a gentle kiss on my cheek. She then closed her eyes.

“Let us discover what the future holds… but this time, **together** . Not as partners… not as friends… but as something **_more_ **.”

I couldn’t believe my ears and I had to mentally slap myself several times to ensure I wasn’t dreaming, or that I wasn’t under some kind of spell or trance. However, she seemed to have picked up my disbelief and placed her other hand on my other cheek.

“You’re not dreaming Master… I am here… and I’m not going anywhere. I am not an apparition or a figment of your imagination. I am The Queen Of Sheba… your Servant and the woman who wishes to be everything you want her to be.”

Seeing no further reason to hold myself back, I grabbed onto one of her arms and pulled her to her feet. The instant she was stable, I pulled once more, causing her to fall onto my chest and once I caught a glimpse of the shocked look on her face, I captured her lips in a kiss. She responded instantly, flinging both her arms around my neck and pressing her body into mine. The kiss escalated far more quickly than I anticipated and it wasn’t long before my hands eagerly made their way to the shirt covering the rest of her body. She felt my intention, whether it was from the sudden stop in my kiss or feeling my hands ghost over her exposed skin. It was here, that she stopped me, though she looked a little embarrassed rather than scared or irritated that I overstepped my boundaries. I prepared to apologize, but almost as if she sensed my intent, she put a finger on my lips.

“I didn’t expect you to come back this quickly Master… could you give me a moment to slip into something more… **_comfortable_ **?”

Her voice sounded so bafflingly seductive that I instinctively nodded, my curiosity now piqued at what she had in mind. She apologized for her sudden request with another kiss.

“Wait right here… I will be just a moment.”

She let go of my hands and quickly made her way into the bathroom and shut the door. I let out the breath I held for the entirety of the kiss and shook my senses back to life.

**This was happening… wasn’t it?**

I sat down on the bed, letting my mind run freely as I finally started to realize what this meant. She loves me… just as much, if not more than I do. She accepted my feelings… and now we were about to take the next step in one fell swoop?

_Was I moving too fast? Was I being too pushy? Maybe I should slow down… maybe I should give us some time to get used to things._

By the time I finished running everything through my head, the door opened… and I was greeted by her smile… and the sexiest set of underwear I had ever laid eyes upon.

Firstly, she wore a dark red, translucent shawl which allowed me to see just about all of the skin it attempted to cover. It stretched all the way down to her calves… and then my eyes drifted elsewhere.

I had no idea if she found out somehow, whether it was by reading my emotions or from the bond between us… or perhaps even some of my other Servants telling her things. Whatever the case was, she blew any fantasy, dream or idea of what the word _sexy_ meant out of the water.

As always, her most distinguishing features were her tall ears and energetic tail. However, she allowed the ears to relax, like a dog at rest instead of at attention and her tail was also relaxed, not wagging constantly as usual. Clearly, she was embarrassed that I was taking in the sight before me. She had always worn relatively revealing clothes, but she wasn’t really one to recognize that she was revealing too much because she was so accustomed to her dress code. However… as my eyes traveled south, I began to regret all those days I timidly asked her to cover up a little more. It was no secret that Tituba was an attractive woman… in fact, she was easily one of the most attractive women I had ever seen. Her flawless, milk chocolate skin accompanied by dark aquamarine eyes would be what a man notices next, or at least in my case.

Then… what she was wearing, took my breath away. I was convinced that she would be able to wear even a plastic bag and then somehow make it look sexy but this… this was something that I literally couldn’t tear my eyes from. Even though I wanted to look her in the eyes, they were totally glued to her body as I took in her newly exposed skin.

Her bra and panties were at their base, dark red but beautiful onyx weaving accented the crimson perfectly on both the edges and throughout the base. It was difficult to believe that she had found out enough about modern lingerie to get something that suited her so well. There were two large cloths that stretched behind her, no doubt being the anchor for her very modest bust.

All of this was only amplified by her incredible physique and body shape. She almost effortlessly maintained a swimmer’s figure but never managed to reach the typical slim build that they had. I tried to move, but my legs refused to respond to me as she made her way over to me at an agonizingly slow pace until she finally arrived, sliding herself into my lap and straddling me with her legs. Her tail came to life and she intentionally used it to tease my cheek. She leaned forward, putting her arms around my head and getting so close, I could smell her strawberry breath.

“I hope this is to your liking… I read a great many of those magazines I’ve seen some of the female Masters with. And I’ve known your favorite color for a long time… do you like what you see Master?”

I nodded, unable to form words with my head and she immediately smiled at me.

“I’m glad… now, shall we continue?”

Her hands went to my chest, pressing against it as she crashed her lips onto mine once more. I responded by grabbing ahold of her rear and pulling her closer. Her bust pressed hard against my chest, but it did nothing but elicit a lustful moan from her mouth. The kiss soon turned into an intense liplock, where neither of us seemed to get an advantage over the other. Everything came to a heart-stopping halt however, when I felt her grind against me. Almost instantly, I felt blood rush from my erratic brain straight to my manhood. She had completely control over me… and she knew it considering that she broke away to give me a confident, but still loving smile. She then began to unbutton my black dress shirt and once she undid them all, I allowed her to push it off my body. She kissed me again but unlike before, this one was lustful. Almost as if she were encouraging me to do more and that I didn’t need to be afraid of anything.

So I listened to her. After giving her a few seconds to kiss me how she wished, I grabbed her in my arms and reversed our positions, laying her on her back and allowing my hands to explore her legs and thighs. The new contact between our exposed skin drove me crazy and I broke away from her lips to kiss her neck. She didn’t even try to muffle her moans as she grabbed onto my head and pushed me lower, encouraging me to explore more with my mouth. I didn’t disappoint, kissing as much of her exposed skin as I possibly could until I reached her breasts. I reached up and felt for the knot that kept her bra together and once I found it, I stopped kissing her and looked her in the eyes. She knew my intent and responded by leaning up. She blushed profusely and bit her lower lip.

“...You should know that I haven’t done anything like this in centuries… forgive me if I’m a little hesitant.” She said.

“Am I going too fast for you?” I asked.

She shook her head.

“...I’m just not used to having such emotion run through my head… it’s making me dizzy. But no… you may continue. I just needed a moment to gather my senses… I’m sor-”  
“No Tituba. Don’t apologize. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes upon… I should be apologizing for being so painfully average; I don’t deserve a woman like you and yet, here I am as the luckiest man alive.”

I laughed nervously as I reached for the back of my head with one of my hands.

“I didn’t really have a purpose until I joined Chaldea’s ranks. And I didn’t imagine for a moment that I’d have even gotten so far as to become a Master. Let alone… be able to summon a woman as amazing as you are.” I continued.

I took another deep breath.

“Anything you do, no matter what it is Tituba… is more than enough for me because **_you_ ** did it.”

She blushed even more than she did before and much to my surprise, she reached behind her and undid the knot herself. I leaned away and allowed her to remove the shawl and once she did, she let the bra fall off, allowing me to see her in half of her womanly grace. My hands ghosted over her skin, eliciting shivers and moans, particularly intense when I reached her breasts. She squirmed slightly once my fingers reached her nipples and when I looked back at her face, it was now flushed with red. She looked almost intoxicated by the sheer amount of pleasure she was evidently being assaulted with.

Taking her slight nod as more encouragement, I held one breast in my right hand and played with the nipple while my mouth enveloped the other, sucking gently. She cried out, her hands losing their grip momentarily around the back of my head as she gripped the sheets. I continued my assault on her senses and soon, I really began to get into the groove. After several more seconds of torture on her body, I swapped breasts. Her hands were mildly frantic, pausing on my head, reaching down to my shoulders and coming to rest on the bed whenever she just couldn’t manage to process the pleasure.

After several more seconds, I leaned up, only for her to pull me into an intense kiss. Clearly, what I just did ignited her desire because she was far from the shy, passionate lover she was mere minutes ago. She drove her tongue into my mouth and I happily obliged, relishing in the taste of strawberries. My hands once again ran all over her body, with increased fervor now that I knew I didn’t have to hold myself back because she was fine with it all. I felt my manhood extend and touch her groin, causing me to grit my teeth and let out a groan of my own. She noticed this and smiled before looking down.

“...Don’t keep me in suspense… **_Carleus_ **.”

Upon hearing my name, it was as if something within me snapped. I removed my pants in one swift motion and looked to her panties. She smiled at me and nodded, letting me know it was okay to continue and that I wasn’t being too eager. I kissed my way down her chest, all the way to her panties. I pressed my lips to the red and black cloth and she immediately squirmed. She made no move to stop me, breathing out a heavy breath of my name. I slid the panties downwards to see that she was already soaking wet, causing me to smile slyly.

_“And I thought that_ **_I_ ** _was happy to see_ **_you_ ** _…”_

My hands found their place on her thighs as I lowered my mouth to her womanhood. Her thighs locked my head into place, but not tight enough to cause me any discomfort. My tongue then began to explore, lapping and licking everywhere I could. In response, her moans turned to soft screams and I was glad that we were on the top floor of the hotel, else others would hear her cries. I didn’t let up and it took roughly a minute before she arched her back and screamed to the heavens. My face was then drenched with her essence. Satisfied with what I did, I moved up to kiss her, only for her to beat me to it as her hands shoved my boxers down. She broke the kiss and gave me an almost expectant stare. I drew her panties off, making sure to be extra slow to tease her and I kicked my boxers off. She smiled as I leaned down and positioned myself. Staring into her eyes, I kissed her once more before sheathing myself fully inside her. She yelped and tensed up significantly. However, she didn’t shy away, instead nodding and urging me to continue. I developed a steady pace, being careful not to cause her too much discomfort and she responded in kind by pulling me down into a kiss. I continued to pump into her, making sure to balance my speed to not be so fast that it overwhelms her, but not slow enough to be boring.

After several minutes, she gazed skyward just as she did before and cried out, reaching her climax for the second time. However, instead of being drained like she was before, she flipped our positions. I managed to sit up before she could pin me and I held onto her thighs as she started to grind. Her ears stood erect at attention as she sped up to a frantic pace. Her arms locked around my neck and she pressed her forehead to mine as her lower body continued to pound against me. With every collision, my brain shook my senses more and more into disarray until I began to feel dizzy from the sheer amount of hormones running through me. If I had known she was this good at sex, I’d have made my move long ago.

Once more, I felt her inner walls begin to tighten and I too, began to feel I was at my limit. I grabbed ahold of her back and shoved my face into her chest as I let out a loud groan in unison with her final cry. Immediately, I felt as if I was drained and I collapsed to the bed with her on top of me. She pushed herself off of me, landing next to me as she panted heavily.

I looked at her, only to see her smiling despite how rapidly she was breathing. She was still blushing, but not out of embarrassment… but rather just how happy she was. She scooted close to me and rested her head on my chest, a single hand now stroking my stomach.

“...I didn’t take you for an expert at this sort of thing.” She teased.  
“There’s a lot you still don’t know about me.” I replied with a playful wink.

She laughed softly before resting her chin on my chest and narrowing her eyes.

“And I look forward to learning it all… thank you for making me the happiest woman alive Carleus.” She whispered.

Right now, I know that everything changed.

I wasn’t just her Master anymore… now. I was much… **much** more.


	2. The Saint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No mature content here! Everyone can read!

 

 

**Not Just My Master- Saint Martha (Rider)**

**~ o ~**

  _They say you can only fall in love once_

_But that can’t be true_

_Because everytime I look at you_

_I fall in love all over again_

**~ o ~**

 “Welcome back you two, that was a job well done! We’ll be able to complete the Fountain Project thanks to your efforts. In a few days, we’ll have a large Mana Font within Orleans, which will make it much safer for younger Masters operating in the area.” Said Da Vinci.

I smiled and shook her hand.

“Glad to be of service ma’am.” I replied.

“You’ve definitely done something great Raizo! I’m very proud of you

“Master! You’re still hurt!”

I turned around to see that my partner, Saint Martha, was looking on in deep concern. I then examined my arm to see that it was still cut. I laughed and shook my head.

“I’m fine Rider. It’s just a scratch, nothing a little first aid won’t solve.” I replied

She looked adamant as she walked up to me and looked at Da Vinci.

“Is there anything else you need of my Master Miss Da Vinci?” She asked.

“Just a debriefing is all.” She replied.

The beautiful Saint shook her head and took my hand in hers.

“I’d like to tend to his wound. Could he perhaps do this debriefing a little later?” She asked.

I had never heard her sound so respectful, because ordinarily, Da Vinci’s rather reckless and carefree nature got on her last nerve. However… something was different this time. Martha was very… shy? I couldn’t quite put my finger on the emotion, but she was blushing slightly and just couldn’t keep eye contact with the inventor. Da Vinci however smiled and nodded.

“Of course it can wait Rider. Go ahead and take care of your Master. We can always do this another day.” She replied.

Martha smiled and turned to me.

“Come Master. Let’s see to that wound of yours.” She said.

Before I could even say goodbye to Da Vinci, Martha pulled me out of the chamber.

 

**…**

**Twenty Minutes Later**

“Thanks for everything Rider. Though I probably could’ve just healed myself with a spell.” I said nervously.

“There’s no better way to tend to a wound than the old fashioned way. Besides, I wanted to do something for you considering all you’ve done for me.” She replied

I shrugged as I put my black tank top back on. Martha had changed out of her usual outfit and was wearing something more casual instead. It was no secret that she and I were very close friends, in fact a lot of other Masters were actually teasing us about being like mother and son. Obviously, Martha didn’t take that kind of teasing very well because if there was one thing she disliked, it was being teased about her age. However, she and I maintained a very healthy relationship.

I managed to summon her using a catalyst because I was sure that she and I would be great partners and here we were two years later. I was by no means a great Master, but I strove to serve the Order as best as I could. I tackled numerous tasks, whether it was dealing with an upsurge of Shadow Servants in an area that younger Masters were in danger or whether it was helping to gather summoning catalysts for those who had not yet found a Servant of their own. It was a crazy ride, and Martha was with me for every step of the way. At first, it was difficult to prove myself to her because she had very high standards whenever it came to having a Master, but the turning point would have to be during our trip to the London Singularity. I had a tendency to always have one of my other Servants, Hans Christian Anderson, wherever I went because he was the very first Servant I had ever summoned during my time as a Master. Hans was in great danger of his Spiritual Core being severely damaged so rather than to risk his life by continuing the battle, I opted to retreat.

Martha knew that I was not one who liked to run away from a fight, but it was at that moment that she truly believed that I was worthy of her, because I chose to put my Servants above my own pride and values. From that day one and a half years ago, she and I were inseparable. Soon, I stopped taking other Servants with me in favor of spending more time with her. And it helped… immensely.

I got to know her as a person, not just according to everything I read in the archives about her. She was easily one of the kindest individuals I had ever met and her very nature was supposed to be perfection. Absolutely beautiful in every sense of the word, she was a woman that I had grown to not only care for but also need. She tended to my wounds whenever I was hurt, she was there for me whenever I needed an ear to listen to my problems and she always watched over me, sometimes opting to stay with me in my room instead of going off to find something to do. She quickly became a permanent part of my life and I knew that if I lost her, I’d lose the part of my life along with her. And that was something that I had grown to hold sacred to me.

Saint Martha was my best friend and I realized that I would do just about anything for her if she asked it of me. No matter what it was…

“Master? Could I ask something of you? If it’s not beyond my boundaries?” She asked.

I shook my head and smiled at her.

“We’ve been together for a long time Rider. Nothing is beyond your boundaries. Ask me anything.” I replied.

She blushed profusely upon hearing my answer, causing me to question what exactly she considered “boundaries”.

“This… this may be selfish… but-”  
“Martha. After all you’ve done for me and for The Order, it’s alright to be a little selfish. Don’t worry about it. Just speak your mind. You can tell me anything you’d like, I’m not going to judge you or reject you.”

I interrupted her and it was probably disrespectful, but I knew that she needed coaxing to open up because she was terrible at sharing what’s really going on beneath the surface. She seemed to appreciate my words and ordinarily, she would’ve probably reprimanded me for interrupting. However, she took a seat next to me on the bed and let out a heavy breath.

“I… I want you to stop calling me Rider. I’d appreciate it if you started referring to me by name. Is that okay with you Master?” She asked.

 I gave her a bright smile and placed my hand on hers, causing her to blush even more.

 “On one condition. If I start calling you Martha, you call me Raizo. No more Master. Fair enough?” I asked.

 She shook her head vigorously.

 “N-N-No! That’s not proper procedure! You’re my M-Master!” She stammered.  
“And we’ve been partners for two years **_Martha_ **. I think we’ve passed the point of needing formalities whenever we talk to each other. Don’t you?” I retorted.

 She paused to consider my words and it took her a good twenty seconds before she finally responded.

 “O-O-Okay… I… suppose it’s only fair... it will take me a bit of time to get used to it, but I will do my best… Ma- I mean Raizo…”

“You can ease yourself into it. But I’ll always call you Martha. Because it’s a beautiful name.” I said.

 She again, blushed profusely and let out sharp, quick breaths.

 “Th-Th-Thank you... w-w-would you like something to eat?” She asked.

 I was immediately tempted to say no, because Martha normally cooked things for me even when she was tired. No… for once, it was my turn to take care of her.

 "Not this time Martha. Consider today your day off. I’m going to take care of **you** this time. I learned a lot of recipes, so would you like anything in particular? Or should I just surprise you?” I asked.

She had no idea what to respond with, because for the first time, she wasn’t the one giving all of the care. For the duration of our time together, she had always taken it upon herself to take care of me, not caring at all how she was feeling or her own needs. Now… I could imagine the battle within her mind.

She had very strong maternal instincts, though she doesn’t view me as her child at all. She learned how to cook, had a habit of ensuring that I always looked presentable and ensured that I could focus solely on the tasks for The Grand Order. For the longest time, she was like my butler. I didn’t have to worry about petty things or minor needs whenever she was around. Now, with the positions being flipped, she hadn’t the slightest clue of how to react. Right now, she probably didn’t even remotely picture me suggesting this, let alone imagine herself actually going through with it.

 “I-I-It’s not n-neces-” She stuttered.  
“I know it isn’t. But I want to do this. You’ve taken such good care of me Martha. Don’t you think you need a day off as well?”  
“I’m a Saint… I’m supposed to be at my best at all times. I’m supposed to embody perfection. I can’t afford to-”

I squeezed her hand, now beginning to let my own feelings take over. Seeing her like this confirmed my suspicions of having feelings for her and considering how fast my heart was racing, not to mention how she suddenly began to look very beautiful to me despite how flustered she was… the writing was clear to read on the wall.

**_I had fallen for my Servant._ **

But I couldn’t let her know that. She is a Saint, she has no business getting romantically involved with anyone… assuming she even wants to in the first place. I didn’t consider myself anyone significant and I always tried to keep a humble outlook on myself. If she ever saw something in me, assuming that she did, I wouldn’t have the slightest clue of what it could be. I just… didn’t stick out, unless being average was something great.

She bit her lower lip and continued to rethink my words, until she finally gave in.

“...Are you sure? It’s not any trouble is it?” She asked.  
“Not at all Martha. I assure you, I just want you to take it easy for once. So please… just let me take care of you?”

She smiled at me, though her face was still furiously red before she finally nodded.

“...As you wish. But when it’s time to clean everything up, don’t even try to-”  
“Not making any promises. You know how hard it is to change my mind with anything once I’m determined.”

My words silenced her immediately as I got to my feet. I didn’t let go of her hand as I led her to the kitchen.

“What would you like?” I asked.  
“...Surprise me. Please.” She replied.

She took a seat on the counter next to her as I put a hand to my chin. I know that she was a fan of sweet foods, and she also enjoyed spicy things.

_“Hmm… maybe could finally put some of what Blackbeard taught me to use. He spoke of some kind of spicy dish that he learned during his time in the Caribbean… Jerk was it?”_

I started to search my cupboard until I happened upon group of spices lined up neatly to the right corner. After examining all of them, I smiled.

_“...I’m going to give this my all. I want her to know that she doesn’t have to take everything upon herself and that we can share the work. I’m not someone who enjoys being pampered, especially at the expense of others.”_

I set to work, getting some meat from the fridge as I recalled everything that Edward Teech taught me. During all of the preparation, I spoke with Martha about our plans for our next task in order to help her calm down. Clearly, whatever was on her mind… was throwing her focus off. I had never seen her blush this much, not to mention act so strangely in front of Da Vinci. Maybe she was feeling sick… or she had something on her mind that she didn’t want anyone to know. Not even me.

It took almost half an hour, but I finally had everything cooking. A pot of rice was being steamed, I seasoned some beef and chicken with the spices as close to what I was taught and left them both to cook in the oven and I made some fresh lemonade. The last thing to do now would be to bake the cookies using the recipe my mother taught me. I then turned to Martha, who looked very impressed with my work ethic.

“I’ve… never seen you so passionate. How do you do it Master?”

Not caring much about her inability to call me by my real name, I laughed and shrugged.

“I guess when you have something drilled into your head by your parents for so long, it sort of sticks.”  
“...Could I ask you a question?” She continued.

I nodded as I placed the towel I was using to wipe my hands down.

“Sure. Anything.” I replied.  
“...Have you ever had something that you wanted to tell someone, and even though you want to be honest with them… you just can’t bring yourself to tell?” She asked.  
“Numerous times. But I always remember that in the end, things will end either positively or negatively. However, the intentions behind our actions are what truly determine who we are. So if you have something you want to tell someone, you should tell them regardless of the consequences, because you care about them enough to be honest regardless of their reaction.”

I said quite the mouthful and for some reason, I felt a tremendous blush flush my cheeks and I turned away from her.

“...What if it was something bad? What if it was something that could change the way you co-exist with that person forever? Is it still worth the risk?” She continued.

I nodded firmly.

 “I think it’s worse to lie about something than it is to tell the truth. Even if the truth hurts, it’s the lesser of the two evils.” I replied.

 Martha nodded slowly and got to her feet.

 “I must speak to you about something. After our dinner, perhaps we can talk? Seriously?” She asked.  
“Of course. I’m all ears.”

 She smiled and turned to the door.

 “I’m going to freshen up. I will return shortly.”

 

  **…**

 

**Two Hours Later**

 “Did that really happen? I was not aware that there was formal training for Masters when they first arrive at the Grand Order.”  
“Yeah. It’s not something I’m very proud of. But I’m glad that it happened, because it made me stronger as a person.”

 She placed a hand on mine and gave me a deeply apologetic look.  
  
“My condolences for the loss of your friend. I didn’t think her capable of something like that considering all you’ve been through together.” She soothed.  
"I guess there's just no changing someone when they're stuck in their ways. I wanted to believe that she would be different but in the end, she's just like all the other people who have come and gone."  
"...I didn't think anyone was capable of such narcissism. Especially not a Master at this very Order, who has every reason to **not** be selfish."

I shook my head, suddenly feeling emotions begin to flood my mind. We spent the last couple of hours eating dinner and I took the liberty of preparing the cookies. Rather than to wait for the cookies to finish, I placed them to bake while we ate. I had just finished telling her about a friend that I had a few months ago, who I believed to be one of my closest friends, only for one of the most petty of reasons to be the reason why we no longer spoke. In fact, she left my circle of friends entirely.

Doing my best to take my mind off of depressing matters, I thought back to the cookies in the oven. Now… should just about be-

**DING!**

Just as I timed, the cookies were about ready. I however, made no move to get up as I looked at Martha.

“...Friends come and go. I guess I was just a little too faithful in her. Perhaps I was naive to believe that she’d be able to care about anyone else other than herself… or maybe I was just foolish.” I said with a deep sigh.  
“You are many things Master. But a fool is not one of them.”

I smiled at her, deeply appreciative of her kind words as I nodded.

“Thanks… so we have our cookies all finished up. Would you like some ice cream with it?” I asked.  
“As I said Master, surprise me. You’ve done an immaculate job of that thus far.” She replied

I quickly made my way into the kitchen and removed the cookies from the oven. However, I didn’t anticipate how hot the pan was and I immediately winced in pain, a sharp hiss involuntarily escaping my lips. In an instant, Martha appeared in the room and noticed my discomfort.

“Did something happen?” She asked.  
“Nothing, I just burned my hand a little. Nothing major.” I replied.

She shook her head and lead me to the sink, despite my obvious reluctance. She held my hand under the water and turned the pipe on, gently rubbing the afflicted area as she laughed softly.

“It seems I always just want to take care of you. You must think I’m annoying by now.” She said.

My heart suddenly sped up as I examined her from head to toe, taking note of her change of clothes. Unlike her usual conservative dress code, she made a slight alteration. Rather than to wear a long sleeved sweater, she wore a violet tank top with black jeans. She let her hair out in its entirety, rather than to tie it up like she usually did when she arrived. However, while I was gone, she pinned it into a ponytail. I could see the crimson bra straps next to the top’s straps and for some odd reason, I began to notice how modest her bust really was. The tank top was short enough to expose some of her midriff. Considering how much she tended to cover up on a regular basis, the fact that she was wearing all of this meant that she truly began to feel comfortable around me, as she usually became flustered at even the thought of a man checking her out.

“Not at all. It’s one of the things that I-”

I halted my mouth, suddenly unable to speak as she looked up at me. She turned off the pipe, her eyes focused on mine as her face softened.

“One of the things… that you what?” She asked.

I turned away, looking to the cookies but I could feel her gaze pierce my head. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes tightly.

“One of the things I **_love_ **.”

I retracted my hand before holding my uninjured one over it and chanting a healing spell, making it as if the burn was never there in the first place. I then looked up at Martha, who looked absolutely dumbfounded at my words.

“...I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so-”  
“Master… do you remember that matter I wanted to discuss with you?” She interjected.

That was not like her at all, to interrupt me when I was speaking. I knew however, that this was something that probably meant the world to her… so I nodded and kept quiet.

“...It’s strange Master. I’ve tried to understand it on my own, but I wasn’t able to. I tried asking for advice from our friends here… but they didn’t have any conclusive information. It’s been maddening having this on my mind… and I wanted to avoid asking or telling you anything but I can’t take it anymore.” She cried.  
“What is it? Is something-”  
“Why do I feel so warm around you?!”

I felt my heart skip a beat as she closed her eyes tightly.

“Why do I feel a rush of heat go through my body whenever I look at you as of late?! Why is it so hard for me to focus whenever you’re smiling at me or whenever you’re looking out for me?! Why can’t I speak properly whenever you hold my hand?!”

It was then that it finally dawned on me, the strange behavior she’s had for the past few weeks. I had always attributed her being flustered as being mere embarrassment. I always thought it was because she just couldn’t take teasing or jokes very well so rather than to lash out, her gentle nature made her passively grow nervous.

She knew what love was. The kind of love that was unconditional and born out of sheer selflessness… but she had no idea what kind of love she was feeling towards me. The way she described it, the way she reacts to everything… it all made sense now.

She had fallen for me, long before I did for her. She had lived her entire life doing everything she did without expecting anything in return. She lived without any kind of attachments to material things and the word selfish, never existed to her. All of this… was very much new to her. Even though she was an absurdly beautiful woman and despite her centuries of knowledge, the one thing she had no idea of how to handle… was how to truly love someone.

“Martha. I’m going to do something. Please, if it feels uncomfortable, let me know. Okay?” I asked.

She looked up at me and froze completely, her eyes widened and her face looking intimidated for the very first time.

“W-W-What are you-”  
“Do you trust me?”

She nodded slowly, though she was still hesitant.

“U-U-Unconditionally Master… but what are you going to do?”  
“Something I should’ve done a long time ago… but I was too much of an idiot to realize that it needed to be done.”  
“W-Wha- mmph!”

Grasping the chance as well as in a last ditch effort to act before my courage abandoned me, I pressed my lips to hers. It was awkward, as I had no idea what the hell I was doing. Though I really wanted to, I made no move to touch her considering how nervous she was; the last thing I wanted to do, was to overstep my boundaries and scare her off. Not feeling any response from her body, I broke away and let go of the breath that I held during the entire moment. After opening my eyes, I looked to see that she was so flustered, she couldn’t keep her eyes fixated on anything for more than a second. I grasped her hand in mine and she looked up at me, her eyes not leaving mine for a moment.

“...Was I moving too fast?” I asked.

She shook her head, blushing as she drew in a much needed breath.

“I...I’m just… not used to things like this. These feelings… they’re **so** much to process. And I can’t be dishonest and say that I **didn’t** like what you did, how gracious you’ve been… thank you Master.”

She leaned forward, resting her head on my chest as I brought one of my hands to her cheek.

“...I love you Master… but this is a whole new world for me… I’m sorry if I am like a child when it comes to these things.” She explained.

Hearing the first three words was all I needed to be sure. She wasn’t rejecting me… she just needed time to get used to it all. I tightened my grip on her hand, trying my best to reassure her.

“You don’t have to apologize. Hearing you say those first three words was more than enough for me… I’m not going anywhere Martha. Take as much time as you need.” I replied.

I had to be patient with her, because her having these feelings violated everything that she represented and it would be incredibly difficult for her to break free of that mold. She leaned her head off of my chest and looked me in the eye. A few seconds later however, she bit her lip and looked away from me. Her hand returned the grip of mine and she took another deep breath.

“Thank you for your patience… but could I ask one more thing of you… **_Raizo_ **?”

Hearing her say my name for the first time… great. Now it was my turn to be flustered.

“Of course Martha. What is it?” I asked in as calm a tone as I could muster.  
“...Please do that again. I… **_really_ ** liked that.”

She managed to return her gaze to my eyes, as if she had managed to gather enough courage to be willing to try a kiss once more.

“I could tell you were restraining yourself… and as long as it’s **you** … I feel comfortable. I know you won’t hurt me… so don’t hold back on my account… my heart and body are **yours**.”

I laughed inwardly. That was just like Martha, always fully dedicating herself to something without pausing or hesitating. She didn’t understand that what I wanted from her now, was not to go all the way… but for her to be happy and to take things at her own pace. She didn’t have to give herself to me if she didn’t feel ready… in fact, that was an idea that I was thoroughly opposed to.

“We’ll take this slowly Martha; there’s no rush… now as for your request...”

Feeling a little adventurous, as well as thinking about how uncomfortable standing in this position might be for her, I pushed her ever so gently towards the counter behind her.

“Sit down this time… you’ll feel a lot more comfortable.” I whispered.

She did as I instructed, breaking eye contact only to ensure that she found a comfortable spot on the counter. As soon as she found her spot, her eyes immediately locked back onto mine. Though she was blushing profusely, she had the most genuine smile I had ever seen on her face. I placed a hand on her cheek and gently stroked it, causing her to bring her own hand up to cover mine. I don’t know if it was because of the bond between us, or perhaps I underestimated just how deeply I had fallen for her. Either way, this moment… it was almost unreal. Never in my wildest dreams, did I imagine I’d be holding Martha the way I am right this second.

“...I love you… so much.” She whispered.  
“I love you too… now close your eyes and _relax_.”

I leaned in and kissed her once more. She stiffened once again, but unlike before where she stood frozen like a statue, her body responded. She placed both her hands on my cheeks and started to kiss back, albeit awkwardly. But it didn’t matter, because I didn’t expect her to be an expert lover. No… this was **perfect** . As long as it was her, **_anything_ ** she did was good enough for me.

I stepped as close as I could, now standing between her legs with the only thing preventing me from getting closer being the counter. I placed my hands on her lower back and pulled her forward. She allowed me to and she leaned into me, causing her modest bust to press against my chest and the rest of her body to practically meld with mine. Our kiss deepened and our hands began to get adventurous, though hers was at a much slower pace than mine. I gently rubbed her stomach, eliciting a sensual moan down my throat from her as she broke away for a brief moment. Before I could comment, she kissed me again, but this time, she took hold of my hands and placed them at her love handles. Evidently, she adored being held there.

It took us three yearlong minutes to break apart from each other and once we did, we were both panting. I knew that she was willing to try anything, but I gave her my word that I would take things slowly, so I took control of my hormones and suppressed them.

“...Are you okay?” I asked awkwardly.  
“...I’ve never been better.”

She hugged me close and nestled her head into my neck.

“...Thank you for being so patient with me. One day… I’ll be able to give you everything.” She whispered.

My eyes then widened as I flinched. She broke away from me and raised an eyebrow.

“Is something wrong?” She asked.  
“...The cookies have **_got_ ** to be cold by now...”

  



	3. The Grand Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steamy, but not mature. Everyone can read!

  **Not Just My Master- Artoria Pendragon (Lancer)**

**~ o ~**

_Be faithful in small things_

_Because it is in them_

_That your true strength lies_

_\- Mother Theresa_

**~ o ~**

**London Singularity- The Heart Of London**

 

"Lancer! On your left!" I yelled.  
"Thank you Master! Take this!"

The battle raged on as I kept my eyes peeled for any oncoming attackers. I immediately caught sight of two Homunculi, and I immediately raised my hand and channeled my Command Seal.

"Emergency Evasion!" I bellowed.

Powerful magic surrounded my Servant and the moment she finished her current opponent, she turned back to react. She easily dodged both of their blows, thanks largely in part to my magic giving her the increased reaction time she needed. She looked to me and nodded gratefully.

"Back to the shadows!" She yelled.

She raised her lance briefly before bringing it behind her. I knew immediately what she intended to do and I dove for cover behind a half wall that surrounded the garden we were fighting in.

"Invisible Air!" She shouted.

A massive gust of wind suddenly appeared behind her lance and before the Homunculi could respond, she swung it with extreme force.

"Strike Air!"

The swing launched a massive torrent of wind, so intense that it sent the Homunculi flying backwards. She recovered from the attack before sprinting forward as fast as she could. Without even giving her enemies a moment to land, she relentlessly slashed and pummeled them before finishing with a final, devastating swing that bifurcated both of them. With all of the surrounding enemies defeated, we finally had an opening to escape. She looked behind her and whistled the same melody she always used to call her faithful steed, Dun Stallion. As always, the horse heeded her call and she leaped onto his back as gracefully as she always did. She then looked to me and nodded.

"Come on Master. Now's our chance to retreat! We've gathered all we need for the mission!" She said.  
"Behind you Lancer!" I shouted.

She didn't even have to turn around; the horse immediately fired a kick backwards, audibly cracking the oncoming automaton and sending it flying. I jumped to my feet and immediately ran towards her. However, the horse took off into a gallop. She seemed to realize that the horse didn't intend on stopping so she stretched her hand out towards me.

"Take my hand Master!" She cried.

I did as she asked and she pulled me onto the back of the horse with ease. I was thankful that she was such a strong Servant, else this mission would've likely ended in failure considering the odds we were up against. The horse continued at a break neck pace, causing me to grab onto Lancer's stomach for dear life.

"We're nearly at the extraction point! Get ready for the Rayshift Miss Da Vinci!" I announced.

_"Standing by! We're ready!"_

The horse sped up even more and it was only then that I realized that we were being chased by several Homunculi, who were running on all fours in a desperate attempt at claiming us as their next victims. I turned back to face the front... only to feel a sharp pain shoot through my head. I cried out and looked down at my hand to see that my Command Seals had faded. 

_"Damn it... I overused my spells again. I can't believe I made such a stupid mistake!"_

   
"Master Adrian? Are you okay? What's happening?" She cried.

I shook my head.

"Keep going Lancer. We're almost there... I can handle this..."  
"No! Your Mana is running out! I can feel your consciousness slipping! Hold on Master! We're almost there!"

Though her words were encouraging, my vision continued to fade until... blackness had almost entirely taken over. The last thing I remember... was the light of the Rayshift...

  
**...**

**Two Hours Later- Adrian's Room**

 

_"Ugh... my head. It feels like someone hit me with a hammer... seventeen times."_

I opened my eyes, finally feeling well enough to move. As soon as I sat up, I regretted it as the pain in my head returned in full force. I clutched at my forehead in a desperate attempt at getting it to stop, but it was of no use. That's what happened to me whenever my Mana got low, and I had to maintain a powerful Servant. Or should I say... my only Servant.

"Master! How are you feeling?"

I looked up to see that Lancer was sitting next to me, her arms folded and her head leaned down, as if she were sleeping or at the very least, resting her head down.

"The pain's a bit more intense that usual... but nothing I can't handle. Did we finish the mission?" I asked.

She nodded firmly.

"We delivered all of the required materials to Da Vinci. We also managed to thin the numbers enough to give the upcoming unit of younger Masters the opportunity to take new ground. Because of our efforts, we have established a new summoning circle in the Singularity. Today couldn't have gone more swimmingly." She replied with a bright smile.

I breathed a deep sigh of relief as I shook my head.

"...It feels like the danger will never end sometimes. But I'm lucky to have you at my side Lancer." I said.  
"Your call for help was a noble one Master. There was no way I could've ignored it. In the year and a half we've been working together, we've helped the Order accomplish many things." She began.  
"We have indeed... and we never seem to catch a break when it comes to getting some rest." I said with an even deeper sigh than the one before

Lancer nodded in agreement.

"I will admit, though I will do everything in my power to assist the cause, it would be nice to get away from the field of battle... if even for a day." She mused.

I noticed how tired she looked, not to mention stressed.

Lancer, otherwise known by her true name, Artoria Pendragon, was an extremely powerful Servant, infamous for her reputation as the leader of the Knights Of The Round Table. She was known for her nearly unrivaled strength, speed and power and as a result, was highly sought after by any and all Masters out there. I had no idea how I was able to summon her, considering that I was still new to my role. I didn't imagine for a moment that the Grail would've granted me such a powerful Servant as my first one. Because of how limited my Mana reserves were, I couldn't sustain another Servant apart from her so I opted to only make use of her. Unlike most other Masters here in Chaldea, I had only one Servant under my command, and she just so happened to be among the most powerful.

In addition to power... she was also very well known for her beauty as well as voluptuous body. Many a Master lusted after her whenever they managed to get sight of her but just like her personality showed in the stories and legends, she only had eyes for her Master. Her very generous bust, her gloriously shaped body and even just her beautiful face, I had many friends who were envious of my luck, because they knew that I wasn't a Master who was far beyond the others. Still... ever since the day she arrived, we started working together within minutes and it only took us a couple of weeks before we were **really** in tune. She quickly became my partner and the one I entrusted my life most to. At first, she wasn't entirely sure if I was cut out for my role in giving her orders as well as supporting her on the dangerous fields of battle, but I quickly proved myself capable with my intelligent use of Command Spells as well as my ability to adapt and change strategies in the heat of battle. What I lacked in Mana and physical strength, I made up for in intelligence. Many times during our missions, especially when we had to work alongside other Masters, I was the one who formulated the plans of action. Occasionally, Artoria would offer her wisdom but for the most part, she truly believed in whatever I came up with. Thus far, my intuition didn't fail us... though we've had a few close calls, like the one a few hours ago.

Still, it felt good knowing that Artoria was watching over me. I knew that I was safe and nothing in existence would be able to lay a hand on me without her beating it into submission.

"Master? Are you alright? You seem a bit... out of touch with reality." She inferred.

I shook my senses back into focus and laughed nervously.

"Sorry. I was thinking about other matters." I replied.  
"Anything concerning? Something we need to discuss?" She asked.

A great idea suddenly came into my head, though its success would largely depend on how open she was to it as well as my head remaining painless.

"Since we don't have much work to take care of for a few days, how about we do something different besides training? I don't think you need anymore." I suggested.  
"I must stay at my peak all the time Master. I can't afford to-"  
"Didn't you just say that it would be nice to have a break? Come on Lancer. Now would be a great time, especially since we're not needed at all right now. At least hear me out?" I pleaded.

She seemed a little adamant, but she finally gave in with a submissive nod.

"Okay Master Adrian. What do you have in mind?" She asked.  
"I was thinking I could cook you dinner and after that, we could go watch the fireworks in Tokyo. You remember the mission we completed three weeks ago that took us to Fuyuki?"  
"The one that involved us invading an enemy base and fighting those dozens of Shadow Servants?" She asked.  
"Bingo. Because we managed to complete that, the Order got all of the resources they needed to construct the reality space for Tokyo. You've never been there before right?" I asked

She shook her head.

"Then this should be a lot of fun. What do you say? Would you like to go?" I asked.  
"I'm more concerned with the pain you're feeling Master. Are you sure you're well enough to stand?" She asked.

I smiled at her and nodded.

"Whenever you're around, any kind of pain is bearable Lancer."

She smiled at me and nodded.

"It is my duty after all. Your idea sounds wonderful, of course I'll go with you."  
"So we'll meet at the Rayshift Chamber once you pack a bag?" I asked.

She blinked twice and raised an eyebrow.

"A bag? With what?" She asked.  
"I don't plan on being there just for a day. Maybe a few days would be fun. So why not carry some extra clothes and such?" I replied.

She shook her head.

"I don't think we can afford to take several days off... we are needed here for the Order's-"  
_"Quite the contrary! Master Adrian is correct!"_

The intercom came to life as I recognized Da Vinci's singsong, yet condescending tone.

"What do you mean?" I asked.  
_"I mean that you two have more than earned a small vacation. You've worked tirelessly for months and helped our progress so much. How could I ask you to continue without some time off? Take as much time as you need, the Order can wait for a few days for one of their finest contributors to take a well deserved rest!"_

The intercom chipped out and I laughed nervously.

"I guess we have permission now. So any other thoughts?" I asked.

Lancer shook her head, though she seemed a little uncomfortable.

"...I've never really taken more than a single day off. I'm so used to serving the cause and purpose... I suppose I'm not entirely sure how to relax and unwind as you say?" She mused.  
"I'll show you a good time Lancer. Trust me, just get some clothes and necessities together. You won't regret this, I promise."

I gave her a reassuring smile and it seemed to be enough to get her to finally relax.

"Alright Master. I'll meet you there shortly."

**~ o ~**

**Four Days Later- A Hotel In Tokyo**

"W-W-What is this machine?" Stuttered Lancer.  
"Karaoke. You don't have the slightest idea of how it works do you?" I asked.

She put a hand to her chin and shook her head.

"I may have overheard Da Vinci talking about something like this once or twice, but no practical experience at all." She replied.  
"Well, it's pretty fun if you have good company. Do you want to give it a try?" I asked.  
"What exactly does this entail?"

I cleared my throat and led her to the couch. After ensuring that she was comfortable, I reached for the tablet and the microphone.

"See that big screen up there? That will display all of the lyrics to the songs that we choose. Karaoke is an interactive song basically. Remember all of the songs you sometimes hear in the cafeteria area sometimes in Chaldea?" I asked.

She nodded.

"I believe so... it came from that box you call a speaker?" She inquired.  
"Exactly. So Karaoke basically allows you to sing the songs with the melodies backing you up. Get it now?"

She nodded again, but put her hand to her chest and turned away, blushing profusely.

"...Does that mean I will have to sing? I don't think that I am good at that..." She mumbled.

I shook my head and laughed heartily. That was just like her; having a competitive side.

"This isn't a competition Lancer. It's about having fun! Look at all the things you've tried so far! Did you regret any of them?"

She turned back to me, as if seeking assurance. It took her a few moments, but she managed to crack a smile as she narrowed her eyes.

"Well... when you put it that way, nothing you've shown me so far has been unpleasant."

The last four days were magical to say the least. I showed her around most of Tokyo and even managed to do things like let her experience a shopping trip, authentic Japanese cuisine and much more. One of the highlights however was when we went to a maid café. I had no idea how Da Vinci was able to simulate the city so well, but the waitresses were all so... real. It was difficult to believe that everything was practically a simulation, and Lancer got to see first hand how Japanese culture was both fascinating... as well as a little weird. From what I could tell, she thoroughly enjoyed her time thus far, and I ensured to make her promise to tell me if she felt uncomfortable with anything or if she didn't feel like doing something else.

Obviously, her favorite part was learning about Japanese martial arts and weapon fighting. She seemed to be a natural with a katana as she decimated the combat simulation that Da Vinci put in place at a dojo. I myself, had only read a few books on everything, but she certainly had a natural talent for fighting. I guess I should expect no less, considering that she was considered one of the most powerful Servants in existence when it came to combat. 

It was a bit hard to believe that a woman who was so fierce in battle... could be so innocent outside of it.

"What must I do?" She asked.

Broken from my thoughts, I powered on the tablet and started looking for a song.

"Well, since you're not exactly well versed in music, I'll go first. If you want to listen to a few songs before we begin, we can do that too." I suggested.  
"Listening to some first sounds wonderful. Perhaps there is some classical music, like orchestras or perhaps some bard songs?" She inferred.  
"...I doubt that. So tell you what, I'm going to head down the street and pick us up some dinner from that fancy restaurant. Do you want anything in particular?" I asked.

She smiled and nodded, with a light blush.

"That food... sushi was it? That was delicious... and that soup? I can't quite remember the name..."  
"Ramen. So you want both? Any dessert too?" I asked.

She bit her lower lip.

"...I still don't have much of a sweet tooth unfortunately Master, but I'd like for you to surprise me. You've done a fantastic job of that so far, so I believe in your discretion."  
"Alright. I'll be back shortly. Take your time and experiment."  
"Master Adrian?"

I had just finished putting on my jacket when she called out to me. As soon as I turned back to face her, she grabbed me in a hug.

"Thank you... for all of this. You were right... this was needed." She whispered.  
"I'm glad you're enjoying the time off Lancer. I'll be back in a few minutes... okay?"  
"Okay. I certainly hope I don't damage your ears with my terrible voice."  
"Nonsense... I actually quite like your voice. It's soothing."

She turned into a red Christmas light and I quickly made myself scarce before she could delay me any further with her comments.

**...**

**One Hour Later**

"I don't know what you were worried about; your voice is beautiful Lancer." I said with a chuckle.  
"Well, I suppose all of this sake we've been drinking has given me even more courage... who would've thought that the leader of the Knights Of The Round Table would be afraid of singing a song for her Master." She replied.

In addition to getting dinner, I picked up four bottles of sake and a special surprise for her as far as desserts go. We played for 45 minutes, singing varying songs ranging from old school pop superstars to modern EDM artists. I had never seen her loosen up so much, though it did take some sake for her to finally break out of her shell. For as long as I've known her, Lancer had unwavering confidence in her skills in battle, so much so that she was able to fight unsurmountable odds with ease. However, when it came to being just a normal woman? That was something that she lacked in. She didn't know what it was like to worry about minor things, such as the taste of food or enjoying good company. She was a textbook warrior, who had no idea how to be anything other than that.

It brought me great joy to teach her some of these things and she was surprisingly open about everything. Even her dress code, which I admittedly picked because I just plain liked seeing her show off her figure rather than her... assets.

During one of our shopping trips, she bought a lot of casual wear, comprised primarily of tank tops, sleeveless shirts and shirts that were small enough to expose her toned mid riff. She was by no means muscular, but was built solidly enough to allow her to wear her heavy armor as well as wield that massive lance of hers. She was also sturdy enough to handle how strong her horse was, so she was by no means fragile. Because of this, her body was damn near perfectly sculpted. That being said, I didn't exactly want everyone eyeing my friend like a piece of meat, so I asked her to change it up a bit. She didn't see the point, but that was mostly because she wasn't taught all that much of a sense of modesty. As a knight, modesty was one of the things they would worry about the least.

She liked wearing shorts... perhaps a little bit too short for my liking around others but I didn't want to be a control freak; I believed in allowing her to live her own life and have her own preferences instead of me playing God or something.

Now? She had changed out of the sweater that she was wearing before as well as the jeans, and was now in a white tanktop, which exposed her midriff. She matched it with light blue denim shorts, which happened to be short enough to let me see most of her glorious thighs. I could also see that she had taken my advice and started wearing suitable bras, because her bust size was too big for even her usual outfit at times. She decided to wear a light blue bra and I noticed that she had a preference for straps as it wasn't the first time I had seen those on her shoulder.

"Okay Master! You said that it would be one more song for each of us before we called it a night?" She asked.

I nodded before taking a large gulp of sake.

"Yeah. But I also said that we'd continue the card game to decide the tone and type of song. But let's up the ante one more time by making this game a bit more interesting." I said.

She clapped excitedly, clearly enjoying herself far more than I initially thought.

"What do you have in mind?" She asked.  
"Alright. Before we choose any songs, we're going to play another game before it. Ever heard of King's Chalice?" I asked

She shook her head.

"Alright. This is a drinking game that's normally reserved for three or more people, but there's a way to play it with just two. Wanna give it a try?" I asked.  
"It sounds interesting, what are the rules?"

I cleared my throat before getting to my feet and going into the kitchen. I grabbed a large cup and returned to the couch. After placing it down, I opened the pack of cards I picked up on my way back from the restaurant. After removing the two Jokers as well as the useless cards, I shuffled them thoroughly.

"It's a really simple game, but there are a few things to be aware of."

She seemed impressed with my shuffling skills and after I was satisfied, I neatly surrounded the large empty cup with the cards facedown.

"The game works like this: we take turns drawing cards and depending on the card that we draw, different things will happen. Remember, if you don't feel comfortable with something, don't hesitate to tell me; we can always skip the card's conditions. Alright?" I explained.

She nodded.

"So what makes this a drinking game?" She asked.  
"When you draw a card, if you break the circle that's been formed by the cards, you have to take a gulp of your drink. The cards can also determine if you have to take a drink or not. But we'll take it one step at a time. You ready?" I asked.  
"Let me refill my cup."

She poured more sake into the glass before sitting closer to me and nodding.

"Ladies first. Pick any card you'd like." I instructed.

She reached forward and pulled one before flipping it over, to reveal a 2.

"What does this one mean?" She asked.  
"2 means You. That means that you can tell anyone else playing the game to take a drink. Since I'm the only one playing, I have to take a drink."

She looked at me, now feeling concerned.

"I... don't want you to drink too much Master."  
"It's part of the game Lancer. Don't worry, I can handle my alcohol. If it's too much for me to bear, I'll drink water instead to not worry you. Just focus on having fun. Alright?" I assured.

She nodded, though her face still radiated her unrelenting concern for me, causing my heart to flutter. That was one of the things I loved most about her; she always put my well being over her own.

I drew a card and flipped it, revealing a Jack.

"What does this card mean?" She asked.  
"Jack means Rules or Conditions. Here's how it works, whoever draws the Jack gets to make a rule that must be followed for the rest of the game. Failure to uphold that rule will force the offender to drink their entire glass." I replied.

Her eyes widened and she bit her lower lip.

"...That sounds scary." She mused.  
"Since this is your first game, I'll do something really easy. Now watch what I do."

She placed her glass down and looked at me, completely focused.

"Whenever you're going to take a drink, you have to ask the other's permission using their real name. So for example, if I feel like taking a drink, I will have to say 'May I have a drink Artoria?'. Likewise, you'll have to ask me permission to drink. Get the gist of it?" I asked.

She nodded and looked down at my glass.

"This... I can see how this can be an intense drinking game." She said.  
"I've played games with more than eight people and used two packs of cards. Can you imagine a game where there's eight player created rules? It's hilarious." I replied with a hearty chuckle.

She laughed softly as she reached for a card. She flipped it over, to reveal a Queen.

"What does this one mean?"  
"Queen is Truth Or Dare. Whoever pulls this card gets to tell someone Truth or Dare and they have to choose. If they refuse to do either choice, they are forced to drink their entire glass. Since you pulled it, you get to choose."

She nodded and looked at me.

"Truth or Dare Master?" She asked.  
"Truth. We've got three other Queens to make things interesting." I replied with a chuckle.  
"So... I get to ask you anything I want?" She inquired.  
"Yes. And if I refuse to answer it, I have to drink. But I have nothing to hide from you so feel free to ask me anything at all." I explained.

She put her hand to her chin and closed her eyes, thinking seemingly carefully about her question. It took her a few moments, but she looked up.

"Master... have you ever been in love? Or had feelings for someone?" She asked.

I flinched for a moment, taken aback by her sudden interest in that particular topic. However, I knew that she would be able to tell if I was lying because I was absolutely horrible at it. I smiled and nodded.

"I don't think I've been in love... because that's a really strong word. But I can definitely say that I have feelings for someone." I replied.  
"Who is it?"

I snickered before raising my finger.

"You're entitled to one question! You're going to have to wait for another Queen to get that answer."

She pouted, almost adorably as she sighed.

"Well, thank you for being honest with me." She said.  
"I'd never lie to you. I don't want there to be anything hidden between us... now let's carry on."

I reached for another card and flipped it to reveal a King. I laughed softly.

"King means Channeling. Everyone playing the game must pour some of their drink into the King's Chalice, which is the large cup. This continues until the fourth King is drawn and whoever does that, has to drink everything in the cup." I explained.

She shook her head, her eyes widening.

"That... sounds dangerous."  
"To keep things simple and to stop our livers from suffering, we'll fill this Chalice with something non-alcoholic. Good thing I brought this lemonade!"

I ran into the kitchen and pulled out the large gallon bottle of lemonade and filled the cup roughly a quarter of the way. It was her turn once again and she drew... a Jack.

"Alright. Now you get to create a rule. What's it gonna be?"

She put a hand to her chin and thought once more. It took her a good minute, but she opened her eyes and nodded.

"In addition to asking for permission for drinking, each of us has to reveal a secret about ourselves. Something that we don't know about each other... is that alright?" She asked.  
"You don't have to ask Lancer, it's your rule. And I'll adhere to that; I guess this is a very creative way of playing 20 Questions."

She laughed heartily at my joke as I looked at her.

"May I have a drink Artoria?" I asked.  
"Yes you may. Tell me something about you that I don't know Master."

I put a finger to my chin and thought of something as I took a gulp of sake. I snapped my fingers and looked at her.

"I... have never kissed a girl in my entire life." I said.

She looked at me in disbelief.

"...You're joking. Aren't you?" She asked.

I shook my head.

"You know the story of me arriving at Chaldea. I managed to escape my home in Puerto Rico before the rest of the planet got engulfed in the darkness. I didn't really have time for things like that because of school and clubs."

She seemed to believe me, absent-mindedly reaching for the glass and lifting it to her lips. However, she immediately recalled the rule.

"...May I have a drink Master Adrian?" She asked.  
"Just Adrian. No formalities needed, at least for tonight."

She nodded.

"...Please Adrian?" She asked.

I had no idea if she intended to sound that adorable, or maybe it was because it was the first time she referred to me without my title behind it. Whatever the reason, I unconsciously blushed.

"Of course you can. So what would you like to tell me?" I asked.  
"...I've never gotten drunk before. All of this is very new to me. I was lying when I said I've drank myself into a stupor before." She replied.

I shrugged and chuckled.

"Understandable, but you should know that you don't have to lie to me about anything Artoria. I will never judge you; you're my closest friend and the person who's most important to me. I might be a little upset with certain things but in the end, nothing will make me hate you."

She seemed very reassured upon hearing my words as she took a large gulp. I reached for a card and pulled a Queen.

"Truth Or Dare Artoria?" I asked.  
"Dare. Because I believe Truth would be redundant considering the rule that is in effect." She replied.

I put a hand to my chin as I thought of something for her to do.

"Give me a challenge Master. Do not hold back because you think I cannot handle it." She urged.

I snickered to myself before nodding.

"Alright. I'm going to play a song. Once it's finished, I want you to do the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of the lyrics. Fair enough?" I asked.

She nodded confidently, before asking permission for another drink. I allowed her to as she thought of a fact to say about herself.

"I... actually like sweets. But I say I dislike them in order to prevent myself from getting addicted by eating them too often." She said with a deep blush.  
"I knew it! That explains why you enjoyed those cookies I got yesterday!"

She pouted and scoffed as I scrolled through the tablet's database. I think happened upon a song... and I wasn't sure if I should play it considering how romantic the lyrics were. However, the alcohol in my system defeated my judgement and I pressed the play button.

_"She Will Be Loved... let's see how she responds to this."_

The song began, and she initially was confused by the beat. However, once the singing began, she really began to get into the groove, nodding her head to the rhythm and even starting to dance a little. I guess the sake was beginning to get to her. I noticed however, that whenever the chorus arrived, she paused as if she were in thought. By the time the song ended, she looked very deep in thought.

"Alright Artoria. The dare holds. If you don't want to do anything or can't think of anything to do, I'll give you permission to drink right now." I said with a chuckle.  
"...Adrian."

I looked at her and noticed that she was blushing. She placed her glass down and had somehow scooted closer to me without me even noticing.

"...There's something I've always wanted to do. I hope this doesn't offend you..."

She kissed my cheek after placing her hand on the opposite one.

"I've never thanked you for everything you've done for me. You treated me like an equal, even though I am by definition, nothing of the sort. You've been gracious to me... and I am very happy to be your Servant, as well as your closest friend as you've deemed me. You... mean everything to me. I will never allow any harm to befall you and there is no sacrifice that I am not prepared to make for your sake. So... my deepest gratitude for being my Master." She said.

My heart rate quintupled and I found myself drifting towards her. Her eyes narrowed and she did not move away. I was nervous, so nervous that my hands started to shake and it became very difficult for me to keep my focus on her lips. She seemed to notice, and didn't in the least object. I was close... so very close. I could see the slight welling of tears in her eyelashes and I could smell her breath...

**RING!!!!!**

I cursed under my breath as I reached behind me to answer the room phone.

"Hello?"  
_"Good evening! The manager would like me to inform you that you now have unrestricted access to the hot springs!"_  
"...Thank you."  
_"No problem! Have a pleasant night!"_

I hung up the phone begrudgingly as I turned back to Artoria, who looked curious.

"Who was that?" She asked.  
"One of the employees. It seems the springs are open now so we can go there whenever we want." I replied.

She nodded slowly as she reached for a card. She pulled a Queen. Knowing that she would only ask me the same question as she did before, I chose Dare.

"I want you to do the same thing I just did. I shall select a song and I want you to do the first thing that comes to your mind. However... there is an additional rule." She explained.  
"And what rule is that?"  
"...You have to sing the song."

I raised an eyebrow, suddenly very interested in her sudden boldness.  
  
"But... you don't know many of them." I inferred.

She smiled and shook her head.

"Like some Masters leave their summons to the discretion of the Holy Grail, I will leave this song in the hands of the device, it has a randomization feature does it not?" She asked.  
"It does... alright Artoria. Press play. If it's a song I know, I'll sing it."

She pressed the large random button on the tablet's screen... and of course, it would select a song I knew very... very well.

_"You and Me... oh man... this is gonna be **embarrassing**."_

After asking her permission to drink, I finished my glass, attempting to gather as much courage as I could as I picked up the microphone. After drawing in a breath, I started singing in as smooth a tone as I could. I didn't think I sounded good at all, but the smile on Artoria's face was all the encouragement I need to continue. 

_One of the things_

_I wanna say just aren't coming out right_

_I'm tripping inwards_

_You've got my head spinning_

_I don't know where to go from here_

Upon completing that verse, I noticed that she blushed, especially since I did not break eye contact with her. I continue through the chorus... until I realized that this song.

_"It... **perfectly** describes the way I feel about her..."_

With new resolve to now sing this song for her, I closed my eyes, letting go of all of my self doubt and self consciousness.

_There's something about you now_

_I can't quite figure out_

_Everything she does is beautiful..._

_Everything she does is right..._

I approached her, keeping the mic close to my mouth. I arrived at the final line and deepened my gaze into her beautiful, emerald eyes.

_What day is it... and in what month?_

_This clock never seemed so alive..._

The music faded, and for a moment... we were frozen in time. I dropped the microphone unconsciously as my feelings began to pour from my heart. The same nervous feeling from before came back... and it was ten times as worse. However, I knew that if I didn't act now, I'd never be able to muster the courage again. I walked up to her and before she could move, I leaned down and kissed her lips. She didn't resist, instead placing her hand on my right cheek and surprisingly, started kissing back. My legs however, began to turn to jelly as my brain sent futile impulses for them to remain firm. I broke away after a few seconds, but didn't move away, my forehead now resting on hers.

"...Satisfied with the dare?" I asked.

She smiled at me, a very genuine smile.

"...Yes. It confirmed my thoughts about you... and now I'm sure of it."

She got to her feet and hugged me, resting her head against my chest.

"...I love you Master Adrian." She whispered.  
"...I love you too Artoria."

I knew that the alcohol wasn't having any kind of effect on the way I felt about her... because I've felt like this for a very long time. Evidently, she thought about this just as much, if not more than I had. She wasn't drunk at all... so I knew that she meant every word she said. She leaned away from my chest and took my hand.

"...If it's alright with you Master... could we go to the sauna? I am having a lot of fun with this game of ours... but the sauna sounds like it would be very... relaxing."

I swallowed audibly and nodded.

"I'll fetch my trunks... and meet you there in 5 minutes?" I asked.  
"...Yes. But... before I go to change."

She tip toed and kissed my lips again, though only for a brief moment before moving away.

"...Yes. That... feels _**right**_."

 

**...**

_"HOLY CRAP!!!"_

I had already entered the sauna and was sitting in the hot water... and once I heard the door open, I looked up to see that Artoria had arrived... and as far as I could see...

_"She... she's only wearing a towel...did she know about the dress code for this place?!"_

She then dropped the towel onto the ground, suddenly blushing and attempting feebly to cover up some of her body.

"...Master. You're staring..." She whimpered.

I shook my head vigorously and turned my back to her.

"I-I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"

The splash indicated that she had already gotten into the water. I turned back around, to see that she had already cleared the distance between us, and she was laughing softly.

"...You're very fun to tease Master Adrian. You should already know that I have no qualms with you looking at my body." She said with an innocent smile.

I shook my head, trying to process the flood of hormones that were now cascading throughout my body. She inched closer, backing me up into the stone behind me. She looked puzzled.

"...Why are you backing away from me? Is something wrong?... Am I... scaring you?"

I shook my head again.

"N-N-No... I... I'm just nervous... you k-k-know... the whole not being with a woman thing..."

She smiled at me and placed her hand on my cheek.

"You don't have to be nervous with me Adrian. I love you... and all of me belongs to you. From this day forth... I am **yours**."

She leaned into me and surprisingly, took my hands and gently guided them to her body. I then noticed that she was wearing a bikini, the same dark blue one she got earlier from her shopping trip a few days ago. Thankfully, it was a large one so it was enough to support her huge bust and thanks to the steam, I couldn't see anything beyond her face and some of her upper body. She placed my hands on her waist and leaned even closer, her face only mere inches away from mine.

"...You kissed me without fear before... I want you to do that again... but this time, don't restrain yourself. I want to know exactly how much you love me."

My hands immediately grabbed onto her thighs and pulled her close. She responded by lifting her legs and straddling me, my hands now the only thing keeping her from slipping off. Renewing my courage, I kissed her one more time, this time, allowing my feelings to run free. No alcohol, no rules of a game, nothing... just pure love was what drove me onwards. Artoria threw her arms around my neck and kissed back eagerly, showing a level of passion I hadn't seen before. Our liplock lasted for what felt like days, though it couldn't have been more than just a few minutes. During the chaos, I had somehow turned us around and pressed her up against the stone. My hands had also thoroughly explored all of her exposed skin, and she moaned in such a sexy tone that it kicked my sex drive to life. However, I knew that I didn't want this to happen now. She was a woman that I needed to know all about... because she was easily the one I knew I wanted to be with me for the rest of my life.

She wasn't just some woman that happened to be impossibly attractive and have an basically flawless sense of righteousness, not to mention innocence. This trip did a lot more than just allow me to learn more about Artoria. It allowed me to let down my guard... to let someone in, in a way that no one else had the chance of doing. And most importantly...

It allowed me to take my relationship with her to the next level.

Is... is this what it's like to be in love?

She broke away from the kiss, panting softly as she brought one of my hands to her right breast.

"...Master... I'm so warm on the inside... please..." She pleaded.

I knew that it would hurt her... but she needed to know that I didn't just want her body. I slowly lowered my hand and shook my head.

"...There's no rush Artoria. We've got nothing but time on our hands. I want us to take this slowly... we literally confessed our feelings for each other a few minutes ago."

I leaned closer and kissed her again.

"...Even though I'd love nothing more than to make sweet love to you... I want this to be perfect. Do you understand?"

She nodded and sighed softly.

"...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pressure you. It's just... my feelings for you are now free. I've hidden them for a long time... because I didn't want things to change for the worse. But knowing that you feel the same way... it brings me a happiness unlike any I've ever known."

She kissed my cheek and pressed her head to my neck.

"...Thank you Adrian. And I want you to know that whenever you feel the time is right... I am **ready**."

I guess it was true... that thing they say about love.

_You don't find love._

_Love finds you._

_That's why it's called falling in love._

_Because you don't force yourself to fall..._

_You just fall._

 


	4. The Caster Of The Nightless Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mature content warning for this chapter!

  **Not Just My Master- Scheherazade (Caster)**

**~ o ~**

  _You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep_

_Because reality is finally better than your dreams_

__\- Dr. Seuss_ _

   **~ o ~**

“Welcome home Master! You were gone for a while this time, I was beginning to get worried.”

I smiled upon hearing her words.

“Yeah. Sorry it took so long; things got a little hectic so I had to stay for a week longer. You didn’t feel too lonely here by yourself did you?” I asked.

She shook her head.

“Knowing that you’ll come back to me at the end of the day is more than enough to get me through any spell of loneliness.” She replied.  
“...You’re so poetic Caster.” I said scratching the back of my head.

I closed the door behind me, only to have her grab me in a warm hug.

“...I’m sorry that I cannot come with you to the Singularities, but I know that I wouldn’t be of use to you on the field of battle.” She said.

That was something she said just about every single time I came back from a task for the Grand Order. She really felt guilty, considering that I summoned her and she has yet to actually grace the field of battle. However, she didn’t shy away initially, once willing to do so. However, upon reading everything I could about her, as well as listening to her stories and observing her capabilities, I made the decision to allow her to stay in my room whenever I went on a mission, giving her the freedom to join whenever she felt she could handle it.

Scheherazade’s talents lied in her almost inhuman ability to help me unwind after a hard day’s work, whether it was listening to one of her incredible stories, her unrivaled skill in giving massages or her ability to cook like an artisan… she really excelled at what she did. Today was no exception, as I could smell something cooking in the kitchen. She bowed to me and smiled.

“I took the liberty of cooking dinner a little ahead of time today. Is that alright Master?” She asked.  
“Of course it is! I’m starving!” I replied.

She took my hand and led me to the kitchen before turning to me.

“Go and have a seat. Everything will be ready in just a few minutes.” She said.

I did as she instructed and a few minutes later, she brought all of the food she cooked to the table. I however noticed, that she didn’t bring any for herself. That was something she tended to do now that I thought about it: she only looked out for me and almost never for herself. Perhaps it was to compensate her lack of presence on the battlefield, believing that being even more selfish was something criminal.

“I hope you-”  
“Caster. Why don’t you get some and join me for dinner this time?” I asked.

She seemed taken aback by my request.

“But… I made all of this for you!” She replied.  
“And we’ve never once sat down and eaten together, in the eight months we’ve been partners. I’d love if we could start doing things like this more often… so what do you say? Join me?” I asked.

She smiled and nodded nervously before returning to the stove. After she filled a plate, she sat in front of me at the table, but she made no move to eat a bite. I shook my head and laughed.

“Waiting for me to take a bite first?” I asked.

She nodded obediently and I shook my head once more.

“Ladies first.” I mused.

She was again caught off guard, but she obeyed me and started to eat. Once she took that bite, I began to dig in myself, relishing at how incredible her cooking was.

I couldn’t believe that I’ve been a part of the Grand Order for eight months already. I wasn’t anything particularly special as far as Masters went, but I was known to have rather incredible luck whenever I left a summoning up to the will of the Grail. I managed to summon incredibly powerful Servants within the first two months, so many that I had to limit myself on how many I could take on tasks with me. Scheherazade was the fourth summon I completed, with the preceding three being comprised of Hercules, Thomas Edison and Ozymandias. Because of my limited Mana reserves, it was hard for me to take more than two of them with me. Initially, I took Scheherazade with me on a few tasks, but I quickly discovered that she only came because I wanted her to. She didn’t want to be there, because she believed herself to be a weak Caster and therefore, had no purpose in battle. I quickly adapted, allowing her to stay in my room whenever a task called me to a Singularity and I only ever called upon her when it was something I knew she could handle. She was… appreciative, to say the least.

She quickly turned into as my friends called it, my housewife. My room was always spotless whenever I returned, she often cooked meals for me and she always ensured that I was fully at ease whenever I was there. She was perfectly happy, and that was what truly mattered to me. Months passed, and I began to rely on her to take care of me whenever I came back home. She quickly adopted the role and made it her own. Now, whenever I came home, I could expect a warm meal, a fantastic story and sometimes, she’d even watch over me as I slept. What more could a guy ask for?

We spent about half an hour, talking about random things but mostly had me filling her in on what the Order wanted to do next and the role I was to play in helping it come to fruition. As usual, she was supportive of my decisions, thought she expressed concern about my safety. However, we had over two weeks before my next mission… which gave me a brilliant idea.

“Hey Caster… I was thinking about us doing something together.” I began.

She finished sipping her tea before looking up at me.

“What do you mean Master?” She asked.  
“It’s been a while since we’ve really had some R&R hasn’t it? I don’t think you and I have done anything together since about the third month we’ve been together… and lunch at a place other than my room doesn’t really feel like much now that I think about it.” I said.

She laughed softly and nodded.

“It really has been a while… do you have something in mind?” She asked.  
“Yeah actually. How about we go to Orleans? It’s the one place I haven’t taken you yet and luckily for us, the Order just finished construction of the reality space for it.” I explained.

She smiled brightly at me and nodded eagerly.

“That sounds nice. What’s the occasion? Is there a reason you suddenly want to go there?” She asked.  
“Because I want to spend time with just you. No one else. No Da Vinci nagging me to do something, no Dr. Romani giving me lectures… just you and me.”

She blushed for a moment but didn’t shy away. I was thankful that she was very confident in herself; I couldn’t stand cowards.

“I’d be delighted Master! When will we leave?” She asked.  
“First thing in the morning?” I replied.

I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was ecstatic about the idea and she was only containing her excitement because she didn’t want to act out of character.

“I’ll pack a bag then. Is there anything else you’d like to tell me?” She asked.

I felt a deep blush in my cheeks develop as I suddenly thought back to a night where she was watching over me. As a high ranking Servant, Scheherazade had almost inexhaustible stamina so she didn’t need to sleep much… and I remembered a time waking up to see that she was tired. Considering that I slept anywhere between six to nine hours on a typical night, that meant that she watched me for all of that time and didn’t get any sleep herself.

Now that's what I call dedication.

“Yes actually… and you can tell me if you don’t feel comfortable with this. I’m not in anyway forcing you.” I said.

She looked at me, now genuinely curious.

“I...would really like it if you kept me company while I sleep tonight. And I don’t mean keep watch over me… I mean… well, you know…”

I didn’t realize how nervous I began to feel upon mentioning it to her and now that I thought about it, I probably sounded like a bumbling idiot. However, she responded by placing her hand on mine and nodding.

“If that will make you more comfortable, of course I will Master.” She replied.

She got to her feet.

“Go ahead and take a shower… I’m going to clean up the kitchen and freshen up. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” She said.

 

 

**…**

**Thirty Minutes Later**

I knocked on bedroom door after ensuring that I was dressed properly. I took more than half an hour to have that shower… because hot water just felt so good after having spent the last couple of weeks in Camelot, where no such thing was easily obtainable. I wasn’t sure if she was inside and the last thing I wanted to do was interrupt her if she happened to be doing anything.

“Caster? I’m sorry I took so long… I guess I missed hot water a lot more than I thought I did.” I said with an embarrassed laugh.  
“It’s fine Master. I understand… are you ready to go to sleep?” She asked.  
“Yeah… that bath tired me out. Can I come in?” I asked.  
“Of course you can. It is your room after all.”

I entered the room, unable to properly see her because the room was only illuminated with candlelight. As I sat down, I realized that she was already laying there… not wearing what she usually did.

As long as I’ve known Scheherazade, she tended to reveal a lot of her skin. That was mostly due in part to how her usual attire was, which was clearly heavily inspired by that of ancient Persian design. When I initially met her, she always wore a veil that covered her mouth and the outfit was comprised of velvet white cloth that revealed skin at subtle locations. It was by no means slutty, but it certainly was enticing to say the least.

By the time I had bonded deeply with her, she removed the veil and started wearing much less cloth, opting for a rather grandiose bikini like outfit. Obviously, I was enticed… but I didn’t like the idea of other people getting a free show so I asked her to dress conservatively. She understood how I felt and started wearing casual clothes much like the average woman. She really enjoyed wearing jeans and she had a tendency to always wear a tank top or a short sleeved shirt. She still showed some skin, primarily due to the fact that her bust size was massive which made it difficult for a shirt to stay down. It became enough of a problem that I decided to have clothes made for her, which Da Vinci delivered expertly on.

Now… Scheherazade was wearing… one of my dark blue t-shirts. I was just barely taller than her and because her lower body was under the sheets, I couldn’t tell what she was wearing on her lower half. I swallowed audibly as I climbed into the bed. She seemed to notice that I was nervous and she cleared her throat.

“Are… you comfortable Master?” She asked.  
“Y-Y-Yeah… I’m fine. But are **you** comfortable?” I retorted.

She laughed softly.

“I’ll admit… I didn’t expect a request like that of you. Ultimately, I will do whatever you ask because I am truly grateful for listening to my request on the day we first met… you understand that if I was a combat capable Servant, I would follow you wherever you go… don’t you?” She inferred.

I could tell how guilty she felt from just those words alone and it was then that I realized her true motive for agreeing to this. Part of her truly wanted me to feel comfortable, but the other part was doing this out of guilt of knowing that she basically got to relax while I risked my life on the field. I shook my head and bravely brought my hand to her cheek. She flinched slightly at the contact, but didn’t take her eyes off of me.

“I know you would. And you don’t have to feel guilty of anything; I chose to allow you to stay here because I care about your well being… I’m not going to put your life at risk.”

She smiled at me and much to my surprise, she threw her arms around me and hugged me. I felt her massive bosom against my chest, but I didn’t let it bother me because I felt her body begin to shake. A few seconds later, I heard her sobbing softly.

“...You don’t know how much it worries me whenever you leave on your tasks… when you’re gone for weeks at a time. Sometimes, I don’t know if you’ll return. I believe in your abilities with unwavering faith Master… but your call is the one I answered when the Grail sought out a Servant to serve you. You are the most important person to me…” She continued.

Clearly, the guilt she was feeling was much greater than I thought previously.

“I...felt so selfish for asking something like that of you because ultimately, my purpose is to serve you in whatever way **_you_ ** desire. And the first thing I say to you upon arriving… was to ask you not to let me fight. The guilt was eating me alive… and I’m so sorry for being so useless to you.”  
“Stop right there Scheherazade.”

I snapped my fingers, causing the room to illuminate instantly as I pushed her off of me so I could see her face. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and I had never seen someone look so distraught in my entire life… her pale green eyes now surrounded by red and her face completely devoid of happiness. She was never one to be sad… quite the opposite in fact. She had probably the most beautiful smile of any woman I had ever met… and I’d be damned if I let her continue this way.

“You’re **_not at all_ ** useless. I’d be **nothing** without you by my side. You take good care of me, you cook for me, you always ensure that I’m perfectly at ease when I come home. If anything, I’m the one who should be sorry for being useless because you do **far** more for **_me_ ** than I do for **_you_ **.”

I wiped some of the tears from her cheek and gave her a smile.

“I should be here more, spending more time with you instead of throwing myself into what the Order wants me to do. I sometimes forget that there are other Masters who are doing the same work I am and for that reason, I’m sorry for not giving you the attention you truly deserve… because you deserve much more than I can ever hope to give.”

I let out a heavy breath as my feelings suddenly started to intensify. My bond with her was remarkably strong… but on my end at least, I found I always had a thing for her. But I didn’t have time for romance or relationships; humanity was at stake and the Order needed capable Masters. I unknowingly threw my own desires to the wind in doing all of this and what I’ve really sought after, for all this time… was sitting right in front of me.

**_Her._ **

“...I hope you can forgive me Scheherazade. For not being the best Master I can be to you. I’ll do better… and understand that if you ever decide that you want to return to the Spirit World and find another Master, you are free to do so. I’ve never used a Command Seal on you and I don’t ever intend to. As far as I’m concerned, you’re not a servant to me. No… you’re **_far_** more than that.”

Feeling my courage beginning to falter as my own insecurities started to rear their heads, I turned away.

“...If you feel more comfortable sleeping in the room next to mine, you can go ahead. I won’t force you to-”  
“ **Arnos**...”

That… was a name I hadn’t heard from her mouth since the day we met. For all of the time I knew her, Scheherazade always referred to me as Master, never by my real name. I turned back to face her… only to feel her lips crash onto mine. Caught completely off guard by her affection, I tumbled to the bed and she landed on me. She was much lighter than I thought she was and much to my surprise, she climbed on top of me and deepened the kiss. I responded slowly but surely, putting my hands on her waist and pulling her down more. The kiss intensified significantly, igniting a fire within me that I had tried to bury for a long time out of respect for her well being. I had friends who were romantically involved with their Servants… but I always viewed doing such as a thing as taking advantage over the inherent power that Masters had. If I truly wanted her to, I could’ve made Scheherazade do whatever I pleased by simply waving my hand and using a Command Seal… but I didn’t. Because I wanted to get to know her… to get to love her. Only then, would I have thought of doing anything like what was happening now.

She broke away from me, but leaned her forehead against mine and smiled.

“...You really are the kindest man I’ve ever met. A ruler more worthy than any past king or emperor in all of history… and I am so happy that **you** are the one I am bound to. Know that from this day forth… I will never leave your side. **I love you** Master Arnos.” She whispered.

That was all the approval I needed as I immediately leaned up, cradling her in my lap and pulling her thighs against me. She smiled deviously at me, but I knew that she was genuinely happy, because I sensed absolutely no trace of doubt within her. She had finally let it all go… and was now fully committed to me, not out of some desire to not be useless, but out of her own feelings.

I kissed her again my hands now freely exploring every inch of her exposed, dark chocolate skin. It was then that I found out that she wasn’t wearing any pants… and only had on panties.

_“...She was always really seductive by nature… I guess I should expect no less.”_

Her exuberantly long, raven hair covered the back of my hands and she kissed back furiously, attempting to match the fervor I tried my best to keep up. However, she was an absolutely incredible kisser… and I began to feel the hormones within me kick into overdrive. I needed more of her… right now.

My hands slipped under the shirt, continuing to explore and upon reaching her love handles, she let out a subtle moan through our connected lips. It was a sound that hovered over adorable and enticing… so much so that I had to slap myself mentally to not throw her to the bed and rip her clothes off. No… I had to take this slowly and carefully, because she deserved no less than to be made love to, not just some casual variant of this.

I reached further up until I arrived at her breasts and it was then that I truly realized how soft they were. Despite their massive size, they were surprisingly perky. As I reached the bra’s front, she broke away from me and smiled.

“...I’ve seen you admire my body in the past. It gives me great pleasure to know that I am attractive to you Master Arnos… and if you so desire, you can have all of it… I am **yours** . Emotionally… and **_physically_ **.”

She somehow managed to make a scientific word sound sexy… and I mindlessly began to lift the shirt off of her. She raised her arms and allowed me to do so, revealing a jet black two piece set of underwear. However, the linings of the set were golden lace. I guess even now, she still managed to keep her Persian roots in her dress code… even if no one could see it. My eyes hungrily devoured her body in all of its half-naked glory and I could feel my desire for her intensify rapidly. She damned well knew that it would do this to me, because I had a thing for such attractive underwear that left enough to the imagination to make it interesting to guess. I recaptured her lips and my hands immediately grabbed at her breasts, freely groping and feeling. She moaned intensely between our kisses and responded by grinding her hips into me. The pleasure with both maddening and excruciating as I felt my manhood come to life. She also seemed aware of the development and looked straight down before laughing softly.

“...You desire my body… don’t you Master?”

I didn’t respond verbally. Instead I pushed her onto her back and began to relentlessly shower her skin with kisses. She did not object, moving her neck to the side and exposing more of herself to me, her hands guiding my head and grabbing fistfuls of my hair. I traveled at an agonizingly slow pace from her neck, down to her breasts and upon arriving, I moved one of the cups aside before taking a nipple into my mouth. She inhaled sharply and her body tensed, indicating that I had found a sensitive spot. As I continued to apply gentle pressure, she started moaning loudly, her body squirming and her grip within my hair tightening.

Getting sick of the bra being in the way, I swiftly unclasped it and looked up at her. She leaned up just slightly, allowing me to pull it off. I immediately returned to my previous actions, this time with the unattended nipple as my hands began to travel south. She didn’t even remotely try to resist, spreading her body out and relaxing completely as she continued to moan. My hand arrived at her womanhood and much to my surprise, she was already soaking wet. Clearly, I was doing something right.

I released her nipple from the torture, only for her to grab at my manhood and give me a half glare, half intoxicated stare. Those eyes only said one thing:

**_Lose the pants._ **

I did as she non-verbally commanded, exposing myself completely to her. She smiled subtly, evidently impressed with what she saw.

“For someone so young… you’re _**quite**_ gifted.”  
“Thanks. Have I ever told you how much I’ve admired your body?” I asked.

She blushed and shook her head.

“Well… the gods spared no expense or effort when creating **_you_**... that being said... I hope you're ready for what's next.”

She barely got a chance to retort as I kissed my way down her stomach to her womanhood. She immediately tensed upon feeling my lips through the thin cloth and I snickered to myself knowing that I had her right where I wanted her. I continued to tease her, rubbing gently but continuing to kiss as much skin as my lips could find. She moaned loudly, and I continued the torture for another minute before she yanked my head up to look at her.

Her face was absolutely drunk with hormones and desire. My plan was working perfectly, as she could barely contain her excitement. I drew her panties off, ensuring to take my time and for added measure, I used my teeth to do it instead of my hands. At that point, she was so excited that I sense her emotions through our bond. She was going insane with all of the pent up desire and seeing no reason to deny her further, I positioned myself in front of her. She bit her lower lip and hesitated just slightly.

"...You should know that I haven't done this in centuries... so I'd might as well be a virgin..." She whispered.  
"Then I'll be gentle. Don't worry... I'll take care of you Scheherazade."

She then completely surrendered to my will, letting her body relax as I entered her slowly. She gritted her teeth for a moment and grabbed onto my arms while taking in a very sharp breath. I gave her a few moments to get used to it and once I was sure she was alright, I developed a pace. She responded by locking her legs around my body and encouraging me to speed by relentlessly assaulting my lips, going so far as to shove her tongue into my mouth. Feeling my hormones begin to take over, I let go of my limits as I went from a steady pace, to damn near relentlessly pounding her, only restraining myself enough to not cause her pain. She broke the kiss and started moaning and even screaming softly at times as she cried out my name repeatedly.

I continued for several minutes and for those minutes... nothing else existed. There was no war for humanity, there was no difficult decisions to make...nothing else mattered. All that was there was the woman in my arms and the intense love I was making to her. The woman who's always been there for me since day one.

My faithful Servant, Scheherazade.

I slowed down, feeling my stamina begin to fail me as I panted heavily. As if she sensed my moment of weakness, she pushed up. Immediately, I knew what she intended to do, so I picked her up and turned my back to the bed and sat down. She pushed me into the bedhead and didn't give me a chance to do anything before she straddled my body and impaled herself once more on my length. She locked her lips once more with mine as she grinded herself hard against me, much harder than what I was doing to her only moments ago. With each and every collision of our flesh, I felt my senses get knocked for another loop. The frantic impulses of my brain to explore her body with my hands weren't getting anywhere because quite frankly, it was all drowned out by the pleasure. The pleasure was so intense, it actually began to make me feel dizzy. She was so tight, and I couldn't think of anything that I've felt that could even hold a candle to what I was feeling now.

She continued for several minutes, long enough for me to fall limply to the bedhead and give her full control of the situation. My hands flopped uselessly to the bed as the pleasure had made it impossible for my brain to communicate with my limbs. She seemed to notice what she was doing and I noticed a sly smile on her face. However, I felt pressure building within me and I knew that I was nearing my limit. I could tell she was too, because I could feel her insides tightening sporadically. Finally, she broke the kiss and gazed skywards before letting out a loud cry. Her insides suddenly felt like a mild vice grip as she climaxed. I follow soon after, unintentionally spilling myself into her as I shoved my face into her chest and hugged her tightly in an effort to circumvent the intense feeling.

After a few more seconds, my body suddenly felt completely drained as I fell back to the bed, my head thankfully missing the wood and landing on the pillow instead. She collapsed onto my chest and didn't move for a few moments, panting heavily as if she had just completed the most strenuous exercise she had ever done.

"...That was incredible." She mused.  
"...It really was. I guess I didn't know I had that in me the entire time." I replied.  
"...We should do this more often. Don't you think so?"

I laughed and nodded.

"It'd be a lot fun, that's for sure." I replied.  
"Then I'll be sure to prepare for every time you return home." She assured.

I shook my head and scoffed.

"Why wait for an occasion?" I replied raising an eyebrow.

She looked up and me and blushed, but gave me a devious smile.

"...I'm beginning to think I've created a monster by allowing you to do all of this."  
"Admit it. You enjoyed that a lot more than you thought you would." I teased.

She nodded and shrugged.

"You're quite talented... but I don't think one time will be enough for me to draw a true conclusion." She said while running a finger across my chest.  
"Round two?"

She smiled brightly and looked to the bathroom.

"...That hot water **does** sounds _**rather**_ comforting right now." 

I jumped to my feet and held my hand out to her.

"Be careful what you wish for Scheherazade, you might've jolly well made a monster out of me." I said with a chuckle.  
"Yes..."

She took my hand but got onto her knees and grabbed me in a deep kiss. She pulled away after a moment.

"You're a monster yes... but a monster that I love with all of my heart."


	5. The Warlord

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Contains minor spoilers for the video game, "Nioh".
> 
> You have been warned. No mature content as well!

**Not Just My Master- Oda Nobunaga (Archer)**

**~ o ~**

_Love and War always go together._

_They are the peaks of human emotion._

_Evil and good._

_Beauty and ugliness._

_\- Rick Riordan_

**~ o ~**

 

"...You've gotta be kidding me. Again?!"  
"Did you expect any less when you decided to challenge me?!"

I sighed and placed the controller down.

"Alright Archer... you win for the fifteenth time." I conceded.

She got up and cheered, poking my forehead as she usually did whenever she won a game we decided to play together.

"Let's face it Master, you're not beating me in anything. I always rise to the challenge and come out on top!" She cheered.  
"Yeah. You really do, sometimes I wonder how we ended up as Master and Servant." I mused.  
"Heh. I heard your cry through the Grail and you thought about it all enough to use catalysts. You never said why you chose to summon specifically me after all." She inferred.

I shook my head and shrugged.

"I suppose I liked what I read about you in the archives. None of the Servants I've summoned in the past really clicked with me so perhaps I chose you because I decided to for once, think outside of the box." I replied.

She smiled and shrugged casually.

"I suppose that makes sense. I'm practically your polar opposite anyway. There's every reason to not work together very well but yet, we get the job done every time don't we?"  
"Indeed we do." I replied with a smile of my own.

She got to her feet and looked to the fridge.

"Lemonade? I made some this morning." She offered.  
"Yes. With ice please." I replied.

The Servant otherwise known as the Demon Archer, the Conqueror Of The Warring States... or by her true name of Oda Nobunaga, was the one I was bound to. Our relationship however... was strange to say the least.

Unlike all of my friends, who tended to get along extremely well with their Servants mostly due to very compatible personalities or because of true romantic feelings, Oda and I started off on rocky ground. At first, she thought I was annoying due to my formerly pessimistic outlook on life. I was a Master of the Grand Order for one year and I had gone through a great deal during that time. I had met and parted with dozens of Servants and though I had a liking for some of them, not a single one of them truly gelled with me. That was when I read more into the Archives and discovered Oda Nobunaga, a Servant with extensive knowledge of warfare as well as being known for her fiery personality. Seeing this as a chance to learn much more, I went through the summoning ritual after gathering her summoning catalysts. Upon completing the summon, she didn't even swear her loyalty to me. Instead, she gave me a test:

Take her to Chaldea's Training Simulation Reality and prove my skills as a Master. At first, I didn't impress her... not in the least. However, she seemed to respect my willingness to try and thus she decided to stay to mentor me. This mentorship carried on for several months and we went through many trials and tribulations, ranging from close calls in the field to outright training accidents that often ended with me being injured. However, Oda took care of me. She saw to my needs and though she had no medical knowledge whatsoever, she asked Da Vinci and Mashu to teach her things, so that she could help with even the minor things. I still didn't understand why; I had always assumed that she thought of me as someone insignificant. Then... that fateful day happened.

I saved her from being destroyed by a particularly powerful automaton by using my Command Spells. I managed to manifest the Gandyr spell, which stunned the mechanical behemoth long enough to give her the opening she needed to unleash her Noble Phantasm. By the time I managed to cast the spell, she was already heavily injured... and I knew that if I didn't act, I would've lost her forever. I guess it was one of those do or die moments... and rather than to worry about myself, I chose her. Casting the spell heavily depleted my Mana reserves, so much so that I was unconscious for a week. After I came to, Oda's view of me completely shifted.

She started being nicer to me, albeit she liked to cause mischief wherever she could. She wasn't as harsh on me when it came to training and she actually started to spend quality time with me outside of our missions to the Singularities. We did things like play chess, video games, watch movies and occasionally, we even went swimming. She started to become less of a mentor and teacher... and more of a friend. Months of this passed and I found that I couldn't live without her by my side anymore; she had just become that important to me.

I still had no idea of what she thought of me, but at the bare minimum, she liked me enough to not want to leave me for another Master and she enjoyed my company enough to spend hours on end doing whatever we felt like. She was still fiercely competitive, often times making her mission to beat me at anything we decided to do together. Whether it was swimming laps in the pool, playing chess or like we did now, playing a fighting game, Oda found a way to beat me just about everything single time.

"Here you go Master. So what'll we do next? We still don't have any assignments for a few days so we can actually just chill out for once." She said.

I shrugged before looking at my console. I then noticed that I had an unopened game and upon reaching for it, I showed it to her.

"Ever played something like this?" I asked.

She eyed the cover art after taking a seat next to me and shook her head.

"...What the heck is Nioh?" She asked.  
"Apparently, it's one of the most difficult video games ever conceived. I've played it once or twice, but I never actually finished it." I explained.  
"Is it multiplayer?" She inquired.

I shook my head.

"Strictly single-player, but I suppose it could be something we could play together, you know... a game that we **don't** compete in."

She continued to eye the cover art and put her hand to her chin. Finally, she smiled and shrugged.

"Alright. It seems interesting enough considering it's about Japanese history as far as I can tell. Start it up while I get us some food." She said with a casual shrug.

I suddenly heard my earpiece go off. I pressed my finger to it.

"This is Exxis. What's going on Miss Da Vinci?"  
_"Hello Master Exxis! I'm terribly sorry to bother you... but could I borrow you for a couple of hours? I need a Master to run some tests on a new Mystic Code I'm working on. I would ask someone else, but most of the Masters are out in the field and none of them have the Mana reserves you do."_

I sighed deeply and turned to Oda.

"We're gonna have to do a rain check on this. Da Vinci needs me... unless you want to play the game by yourself until I come back."

Oda looked up from making sandwiches and sighed.

"That crazy scientist always needs you for something doesn't she... it's like she doesn't understand the concept of a  **vacation**." She growled.  
"After all she's done for us, I don't mind giving her a couple of hours. Thanks for the sandwich." I said as I picked one of them up.

She smiled and nodded.

"I'll see if I can get a grasp of it. You said you've played it before so you already have a headstart on learning don't you? I'll surpass you yet..." She said.

I laughed softly and shrugged.

"By all means go ahead. Just don't get angry at the game... or you'll quickly find out why it's so daunting to beat." I warned.

I quickly finished the turkey sandwich she made and handed her the plate.

"Thanks Archer. I appreciate it."

She smiled at me, deeply appreciative of my words as she reached up and gave me a hug.

"Hurry back Master. I wouldn't want to get too far ahead without you watching me." She groaned.  
"I'll be swift. Could you make some tea while I'm gone?" I asked.  
"The usual?" She replied.

I nodded, glad that she had done it enough times to know what I liked without even having to ask.

"Sure. Not a problem. Now get going before the crazy lady calls you back!" She urged.

After ensuring I was properly dressed, I left the room.

 

**~ o ~**

**One Hour Later- Da Vinci's Laboratory**

"Is that everything you needed Miss Da Vinci?" I asked.  
"Not quite. Just a few more tests. It should only be a couple more minutes."

I nodded as I extended my arm out to her. She began to examine the flow of Mana from the sleeve of the Mystic Code that she's been developing. However, she looked at me with genuine curiosity.

"Could I poke at your personal life for a moment Master Exxis?" She asked.

I shrugged casually and nodded.

"...I remember you coming into the Summoning Chamber numerous times, but ever since you summoned Archer, you've stopped. Is there a reason for that?" She asked.

I put my free hand to my chin and thought for a moment before looking back at her.

"I guess I haven't really had much of a need; I'm satisfied with who I've managed to summon for now." I replied.  
"How is she? I've heard stories about how cold and ruthless she can be." She inquired.  
"At first, she was... but she grew on me. We've been working together for a long time and I've sort of grown accustomed to her competitive streak."

Da Vinci nodded slowly as she scribbled some notes, likely based on her observations concerning the Mystic Code.

"Do you get along with her well?" She asked.  
"I'd say so yes. I can ask her to do just about anything and she'll listen to me. I've never once had to use a Command Seal on her." I explained.

The inventor smiled at me and laughed softly.

"You're quite patient Master Exxis. A lot of other Masters would've suppressed the personality traits that they didn't like about her already." She said.  
"Yeah... but mind control's not exactly within my interests. I think Servants should always have the free will do make their own decisions. And that's something I encourage with all the Servants I work with, not just her."  
"A benevolent soul aren't you? I haven't heard that from a Master in a good while. Perhaps you really are something special after all!" She cheered.

I didn't know whether to feel good or insulted, as was the case typically with Leonardo Da Vinci. Nevertheless, she did a lot for me since I arrived at the Grand Order so the least I could do was help her with some tests and research.

"Have you ever thought about getting closer to her?" She asked.

I shrugged and shook my head.

"I've never seen much of a reason to. I mean, she's happy the way she is."  
"Are you sure? Have you noticed that she may be acting... I don't know. A little different?" She asked.  
"What do you mean?"

Da Vinci finished writing her notes and looked at me with a concerned face.

"Oda Nobunaga has an infamous reputation of showing great confidence in everything, but she's not very good at expressing her innermost emotions. Considering her personality as well as the way she treats you, do you think that she only wants to be friends with you? I've noticed the way she looks at you at times." She explained.

Now completely confused, I shook my head and lowered my arm.

"...I don't see what you're talking about Miss Da Vinci." I said.  
"You don't have to see it. Call it a woman's intuition!" She cheered.

I rolled my eyes and turned away from her, only to feel her hand on my shoulder.

"I know you have feelings for her Exxis. It's clear as day in the way you look at her, and in the way you care for her." She whispered.

I shook my head vigorously.

"I don't have time for such attachments... and why the hell would she like a man as mediocre as I?" I replied.  
"Because you cared for her and believed in her when no one else did. Do you really think that she hasn't taken notice of your refusal to attempt more summons? Not to mention all of the time you spend with her when you could be spending it with your dozens of other Servants?"

Even though Da Vinci was likely the last person I'd ever want to take relationship advice from... I began to see a semblance of truth. It made sense that her feelings could be genuine... but then there's the whole issue of her personality.

At times, Oda could be quite the flirt. There have been times where she's casually walked into my room, wearing only one of my t-shirts that she stole from my wardrobe. After arriving, she would proceed to flaunt her body, which I had to admit was... attractive.

I didn't really know what kind of guy I was when it came to what I find attractive. If I was being blunt, I didn't really look at Oda in that way mostly because I didn't think anything could come of such feelings. I was a person who had a good handle on my emotions... but Da Vinci's point about me looking at her in a different light compared to every other woman I've seen was a fair one.

"...I didn't think for a moment that she could be feeling any of these things. As far as I've seen and understood... we're just partners."  
"Well! You don't have to take what I say to heart. I'm just looking out for your well being, because I know how lonely you feel... it's clear in your eyes and also in the way you draw your many pictures." She said.

I looked at her with disbelief.

"H-H-How did you-"  
"I know a lot of things." She replied with a playful wink.

She deactivated the machine, which removed the Mystic Code from my body and put me back in my normal clothes.

"...Could you imagine how special she would feel if you made her one of the subjects of your work? Just try something Exxis... I'm sure something good will come of the effort." She said.

Never in my wildest dreams, would I imagine taking dating advice from this crazy inventor. But I nodded. Because she made me realize that loneliness isn't an absolute... and I had the means of ridding myself of it forever.

"And most importantly... **don't be afraid**. You won't get anywhere if you give into fear. If there's one thing I know she appreciates, it's bravery and boldness."

With that final piece of advice, I bid Da Vinci farewell and made my way back to my room.

**...**

**Two Hours Later- Exxis's Room**

**"WHAT THE HELL?! SHE KILLED ME IN ONE HIT?!"**  
"Well yes, this is a game that rewards a slow, methodical approach. If you get hit once, it's practically over."

Oda fell backwards onto the bed before raising the controller in her hand towards me.

"I've been trying to figure this out for a few hours now... but you have yet to give it a try yourself Master. I'd like to see you give it a shot." She said.  
"Are you sure? I thought you didn't like giving up." I replied with a chuckle.

She growled softly and rolled her eyes.

"I... need a break. That's all. Want some more tea?" She asked  
"By all means. Let's see if I can get past this section..."

I took the controller from her hand and began playing. It was the first time I touched the controller the entire night and while she got up to make some more tea, I looked through what she did so far.

 _"Hmm... she managed to complete the first five missions. But... she didn't use any resources_ _. Perhaps I can make things easier by using some of it."_

How she had the patience to die over 50 times in a single mission was something I'd never understand about her. I guess it had to do with the fact that she takes challenges very seriously. The mere fact that I told her this game was hard probably enticed that competitive spirit even more. I suppose it made sense as to why she was so persistent.

_"She's always played to win... both in history and right now..."_

I started going through her items and skill points... and much to my astonishment, she didn't even look at the other stuff. She's hoarded the maximum item count and has barely leveled up at all. We had so much resources to work with... that it would probably make the task of continuing past this point **significantly**  easier. The mere fact that she had all of these items and resources told me just how many times she died. Screw the 50 that happened since I've started watching; she's probably reached several hundred by now.

_"She got this far... without using most of the game's mechanics. She's been relying **solely** on her own skill."_

I started to look through the options of leveling up and the items that we could buy.

_"Hmm... she likes using the odachi and the kurisigama. With all that ammo, she evidently likes using bows as well. I'll level up those stats and maybe it'll make the job easier."_

After using up most of the Amrita, we jumped from level 1 to level **42**. The stat difference was so great that it was night and day.

_"Okay... now to look through the shop and the other options... can't believe she hasn't sold a single item. She's such a pack rat."_

It took me nearly fifteen minutes to scroll through the items and I remembered one of the guides I read online, giving me the advice of:

**"Disassemble Purple Items, Sell Everything Else Unless You Need Materials Later On."**

I sold over 350 items and disassembled about 80 of them. By the time I was finished, we had an absolutely ridiculous amount of materials and gold. I then examined her current gear and what we could be wearing instead, only to see that once again, she could have  _ **much**_  better gear, but she's been persistent in using what she already has on.

_"She probably likes the bonus stats... and doesn't want to level up the familiarity again."_

After comparing what was left, I realized that everything she was wearing was inferior to what was there... like less than half as effective. She also didn't pay attention to the equipment load mechanic, as I noticed that she was rolling and dodging much more slowly than I've seen in the review videos.

 _" **90% LOAD?**!_ _How can you even time those dodges?! You're so slow you'd might as well be standing still!"_

I immediately swapped out the gear, drastically altering the appearance of her character, though I made sure to keep the purple odachi that she already had in the event that she wanted to keep it. Everything else, was sold. Once I was finished in the shop, I loaded back into the mission before opening the skill menu.

_"...SHE HAS **92** SAMURAI POINTS AND **53** NINJA POINTS?! WHY HASN'T SHE USED ANY OF THESE?!"_

Not wanting to spend these points without her present, I decided to sit by the shrine and wait for her to return. It took her another ten minutes to come back.

She brought the tea as she said she would, but she also returned with some nachos and a medium sized bowl of dip. From what I could tell, it didn't look like the packaged stuff. I smiled at her and nodded gratefully.

"You didn't have to do all of that." I said with a nervous laugh.  
"Eh... I felt hungry and I didn't want to leave you out of it. I made this dip earlier based on something I read in your cookbooks. I hope it doesn't taste awful."  
"...You made this yourself?!" I gasped.

She rolled her eyes and for a brief moment, I saw her blush.

"Well... y-you kept telling me that I should find some fun hobbies besides gaming... s-so I thought about cooking." She said.

That was the first time that I had ever noticed her typically confident voice, falter... albeit only slightly. I took a nacho and dipped it in the sauce, ensuring to get some of the beef mixed in on it. As I brought it to my mouth, I noticed that she was staring at me intently, almost as if she was worried about the taste. I took a bite... and I honestly couldn't believe how good this tasted. I didn't imagine for a moment that Oda Nobunaga would be a competent chef, but I suppose that it made sense considering the exuberant of effort she put into everything. This... was certainly no exception, because it was absolutely delicious.

"...You nailed it. Very tasty." I said.  
"R-R-Really?!" She gasped.

I nodded, knowing that she couldn't doubt me because if there was one fact I made clear about me, it was that I did not tell lies.

"You should be proud... and I might ask you to cook some more things from time to time because if this is just your attempt at dip, I can only imagine how well you'd do with an actual entrée." I mused.

She smiled brightly, her crimson red eyes radiating the sheer fulfillment she was feeling. Clearly, she was concerned about my opinion. However, upon noticing my gaze, she turned back to her usual, cool self and cleared her throat.

"So... any progress with the game?" She asked.  
"I went through all 500 items and sold everything that was useless and kept what was good. I also spent all the Amrita on leveling up... I can't believe you've gotten this far without using any of that stuff." I said with a gasp.

She laughed nervously and shook her head.

"Well, it's mainly because I learned that once you level up, you can't undo it without a really hard to get item so I kind of tried to save up as much as possible so I could sit down and theory craft..." she said with a giggle.

I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"Well, I have prior experience in games like these. I catered it more to your playstyle because I noticed you liked using certain weapons and such. Though those weapon types don't really become useful until later on, I went all in on what you started. All that's left to do now is continue." I said.

I handed the controller to her, but she declined it and sat down next to me, bringing her legs up to her chest and leaning her head on my shoulder.

"If it's alright with you... I'd like to watch for a little while." She said.

I smiled and nodded.

"Alright. Hopefully I don't bore you..."

**...**

**One Hour Later**

"H-H-How are you so good at this game?!" She cried.  
"...What do you mean?"

She comically flapped her arms in frustration.

"You make the game look easy! It doesn't even look like you're trying very hard!" She growled.  
"I... am! It's just that I try to remain calm whenever I play something. And I take my time." I replied.

She sighed deeply and shook her head.

"...I suppose I'm used to games where aggression is rewarded as opposed to patience. How could I be so blind in my desire to win?" She growled.  
"It's who you are. There's nothing wrong with that; not every game is meant for everyone after all."

I continued playing, nearly effortlessly making my way through the missions without hassle. However, once I arrived near a boss room, Oda noticed that I ran back to a shrine.

"Why are you going back there?" She asked.  
"To make sure I have everything I need. I already cleared the path... so I'm going to spend our resources and face him when I'm fresh."  
"Don't the monsters respawn when you use the shrine?" She asked.  
"I took note of their attack patterns and their patrol routes. It'll be easy to avoid them so we can face the boss head on." I replied.

Her eyes widened and after a few moments, I noticed her smile.

"...Since when did you become so cool Master?" She asked.

I laughed nervously and shook my head.

"I just have my hobbies. Gaming is one of them..."

Da Vinci's advice flashed back to me and I felt myself blush as I paused the game. She turned back from the screen, curious as to why I stopped.

"Say Archer... I had a thought. If you'd be willing to entertain the idea?" I asked.

She shrugged.

"What's on your mind?" She asked.  
"One of the hobbies that you aren't aware of... is that I really like to draw." I said.

She looked at me as if it were a massive revelation and she scooted closer, with probably more than ten times the curiosity her crimson eyes radiated before.

"Go on." She said.  
"Well... one of the things I like to draw most are portraits. And I realized that I haven't drawn one in years... so I wondering if... well."

I sucked in a heavy breath, remembering the crazy inventor's words.

"Would... you be willing to pose for a portrait for me?" I asked.

She was clearly caught off guard by my request, which cause her to blush profusely and nervously break eye contact.

"...W-W-What does that entail?" She mumbled.  
"Well... if I'm being honest..."

I took another deep breath, chanting Da Vinci's words like some sort of mantra to keep my cool.

"I... I've always wanted to draw you. Because I think you're beautiful, even if you yourself think that you're nothing but a tomboy." I said.

She was dead silent for a moment, but I didn't even give her a chance to retort if she was even thinking of it.

"I... I've wanted to do something for you. Because you've done so much for me." I finished.  
"...Okay."

She smiled brightly, but not like she usually did, where it was confident and radiant. No... it was different. It was one of those smiles that somehow managed to stop time for a moment. I had never seen a smile like this one before... it was almost as if she was a different person.

"...Could I ask Dr. Kyrielight for some advice on what to wear?... I mean... I doubt you want to draw me wearing... well _**this**_."

I realized that she had changed out of her usual attire, which was literally just a t-shirt and some shorts. As far as things went in terms of her modesty, it was basically non-existent, though she never once just walked into the room naked. Then again... considering how much of a tease she could be, I wouldn't put it past her to do that to me one day soon.

"S-S-Sure... I fully intend to frame this piece, so prepare as much as you feel the need to. But if I'm being honest... anything you wear will look beautiful." I said in an attempt to reassure her.

Much to my surprise, she cleared the distance between us and grabbed me in a hug. She was a few inches shorter than me, so she had to stand on her tip toes to be able to rest her head on my shoulder, but it was a warm hug nevertheless.

"...I'll be back in a little while. Please... be patient."

**...**

**One Hour Later**

_"Alright... she agreed. Don't screw this up. Just do what you've always done in the past. Stay focused and remember that this is for **her**."_

I nervously awaited her return from Mashu's room. I had already prepared the background for her, setting out a stool and ensuring that everything that would be behind her wouldn't distract me at all. I prepared all of my equipment... all I needed now was my model.

_"...This is going to be a lot harder than I thought... I can't calm down; my heart is racing far too wildly... come on... GET A GRIP!"_

The door opened and before I could even turn around to see who it was, I heard Mashu's voice.

"Wait Senpai. Don't turn around... I want you to close your eyes and open them only when I tell you to." She said.  
"O-O-Okay." I replied nervously.  
"You want her to sit on that stool in front of you... correct?"  
"Y-Y-Yes."

It took a minute or two, but I heard footsteps come forward and then stop. A few more heart-stopping seconds later, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Okay Senpai, you can open your eyes now."

As I did... I couldn't believe my eyes.

_"B-B-...Beautiful..."_

I didn't imagine for a moment that Oda would've been able to look like such a beautiful woman, mostly because of her mostly masculine dress code as well as her overall demeanor... But this. This was...

_"Breathtaking..."_

She had cleaned herself up thoroughly, ensuring that not even a single flaw lingered on her light cream skin from the messy meal we ate during our gaming session. She washed her dark chocolate hair thoroughly and evidently used magic to dry it. It was so clean, I could see a slight sheen radiating from some of it. Rather than to let it flow free, she placed some of it in front of her shoulder and the rest behind her, giving her lengthy bangs, but not at all obstructing her face apart from a few stray strands. As far as I could tell, she was wearing absolutely no makeup apart from a little bit of lipstick, most likely Mashu's work.

Then... there was how she was dressed. She wore a dark red, long sleeved shirt with a round collar that was just a little too large for her neck, allowing me to see down to her collarbone. The sleeves were long enough to cover most of her hands, only letting three of her fingers show. Below it, she wore a black skirt that for once, passed her thighs as opposed to her usual short ones. Finally, she finished the outfit with a pair of black sandals.

I couldn't believe how... **_feminine_** she looked and after a few seconds of staring, I felt Mashu poke my shoulder.

"Have fun Senpai. I think she looks beautiful... I can't wait to see what you draw!" She said with a delighted tone.  
"Th-Th-Thanks Mash..." I replied.  
"My pleasure! I'll see you two later!"

She then left the room, leaving Oda and I alone. I struggled to find words to say, so in an effort to calm down, I reached for my sketch pad and pencil. Gathering my courage, I faced her once more... to see that she was blushing and looking at me, almost as if she were ashamed to look the way she does.

"...I look ridiculous... don't I?" She asked.

I shook my head vigorously.

"No. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Don't you ever say that again!"

I didn't realize how quickly, or how firmly those words escaped my lips. I said it practically out of instinct and my compliment caused her to turn even redder. She brought her legs up slightly and placed her hands in front of her lower body on the stool.

"So... you like what you see?" She asked.  
"How could I not Oda? You're absolutely stunning."

She smiled... timidly.

"Th-Th-Thank you..." She replied.  
"Alright... so shall we begin?" I asked.

She nodded, but brought her hands to her chest and sighed.

"I... have no idea of what to do..." She said.  
"Look at me." I urged.

She did as I asked, her eyes locking onto mine. Her hands lowered but she just couldn't keep eye contact. I began to draw a preliminary shape, but I thought about my idea and shook my head, immediately scrapping the paper and throwing it into the bin next to me. She looked confused.

"I-I-Is something wrong?" She stuttered.  
"No... not at all. I just came up with a better idea of what to do. If I'm going to do this... it has to be perfect."

I pulled my stool back a little, allowing me to see her entire form. Now seeing that the wall was a distraction, I thought back to one of the things Da Vinci taught me to do with my Mana.

_"If you imagine it... you can change your room however you'd like. Just focus and free your mind as you let the Mana loose."_

I raised my hand and closed my eyes.

"M-M-Master? W-W-What are you doing?" She asked.  
"Changing the scenery."

I felt the Mana leave my body and though it tired me out slightly, I looked up to see that it worked. The room that I had chosen to use was a simple white room and because there was nothing else in it, all I had to do was envision the scene. I took us to a field... in Feudal Japan.

Oda looked around in amazement, getting off of the stool and walking around for a moment.

"You... You... took me home?" She asked.  
"Yes I did. I thought this would be a fitting location. So are you ready?"

The look on her face appeared far more comfortable compared to the previous setting and I smiled upon seeing the effect my idea had on her. She didn't sit on the stool, instead, she sat on the grass, leaning to the left and using her hands to suspend herself.

"...That stool is uncomfortable. Is this pose okay?" She asked.  
"Perfect, just look at me and focus on happy, fulfilling thoughts. And relax, don't keep the pose if it's uncomfortable because you have to hold it for a little while. Okay?" I instructed.

She nodded slowly and kept still, giving me the opportunity to begin my drawing. It took a little while to do the groundwork for the rest of it, but I was sure I managed to capture her form. Once I completed the foundations, I focused on filling in some of the background to make it easier to add detail to her. Then... it was time to focus... on **her**. Nothing else. Not the trees, not the birds flying by, not the sun behind her... _**just her**_.

I let my pencil run free, doing my best to capture every detail of her face, every curve and contour of her body and trying my hardest to replicate that beautiful hair, as well as that gorgeous outfit she was wearing. It took me a good half and hour to get everything I needed. I ensured to give her breaks to rest and to make sure that she was comfortable. She responded positively, keeping her words to a minimum and instead, just nodding with that immaculate smile of hers. I did my best to keep her entertained, giving her a few jokes and talking about some of the things she wanted to try and cook. It seemed to work, as I sensed absolutely no anxiety within her, a far cry from how she felt when she came in initially. Once I had everything I needed, I looked up at her and nodded.

"You can relax now. I have all I need. All I have to do now is add all of the details." I said.

She smiled and nodded as I closed my eyes and dispelled the Mana that transformed the room. When we arrived back to the usual room I got to my feet.

"Come. Let's have some tea while I add the finishing touches."

**...**

**One Hour Later- Exxis's Bedroom**

"Alright. I think I'm done." I said.

Oda immediately got to her feet and stood next to me at my desk.

"...I'm nervous." She said.  
"Can you imagine how _I_ feel? I don't even know if my work did you any justice..." I replied with a nervous sigh.

She shook her head and smiled at me.

"You did it with your own two hands. That alone... is good enough for me Master." She said.

I blushed profusely, before I took a deep breath and tried to steel myself. I had closed the book before she closed the distance between me and my bed in an effort to surprise her, but now... I really felt reluctant to show it to her. Was it good enough? Did I do her justice? Was this even a good idea?

"Show me... don't keep me in suspense any longer."

I opened the sketchbook and leaned back, allowing her to look at the entire picture. She was silent for what felt like days, even though it was only for a few moments. I swallowed hard and tried to break what felt like an awkward silence.

"I-I-Is it okay? D-D-Do you like it?"  
"Master Exxis?"

Her hair had covered her eyes due to her leaning forward and because of that, I had no idea how to read her face. Her voice sounded calm... almost grateful.

"Y-Y-Yes?"  
"Draw the chair from the desk. Turn and face me."

I nervously did as she asked, bringing the chair out from where it was and turning to face her fully. She didn't move, her fists clenching. Now... she was beginning to scare me.

"Di-Di-Did I do some-"  
"Why... why did you do this..." She growled.

I shook my head in confusion.

"Why are you so gracious to me? How could you be so nice to someone who always beats you at everything... how can you care about someone who was involved in one of the most violent times in Japan's history... how could you treat me like I'm just... **a normal woman**." She continued.

Her fists unclenched and she moved closer to me, her eyes still hidden beneath her veil of hair.

"I... I don't understand... why are you so nice to me Master... it would be easier to just use a Command Seal and bend me to your will... but you choose to let me do as I please... _**WHY** **?!"**_

I then began to understand why this was so difficult for her; her betrayal in the past made it hard for her to admit that she trusted someone unconditionally again. She didn't have any friends apart from Okita Souji, who was a friend of mine's Servant and Mashu. It was difficult for her to vent her emotions because as far as she was concerned, there wasn't anyone she trusted enough to let her guard down completely. She radiated confidence, but deep down... the last thing she wanted was to be betrayed again, even though she admitted more than once that she deserved it for not seeing it coming.

Now realizing that her feelings were never in doubt... I held her right hand in both of mine.

"Because you mean the world to me Oda."

She seemed caught off guard that I used her true name, no doubt due to the fact that I often called her Archer.

"...I'm not the best at expressing my emotions and I'm absolutely terrible at talking about my feelings, but I'm going to do my best for you right now."

I took a breath.

"When you answered my call, initially, I didn't believe that it happened. It took me a while to process that you actually decided to come to Chaldea and for the first couple of months, I struggled to understand why because I wasn't any special, especially compared to other Masters."

My grip on her hand tightened.

"The truth is... I was playing dumb. I had feelings for you for months, but I didn't know they were there because I was so used to being alone. I was used to not having to rely on someone for anything but you quickly changed that. You don't know how grateful I am for everything that you do... even the bad things."

I heard her snicker under her breath, but I didn't look up in a desperate attempt at keeping my cool.

"I guess what I'm trying to say... is that I really care about you Oda. I didn't use a Command Seal on you because I wanted to get to know you... the real you. Not the façade that you put up whenever you're in public or the supreme confidence you radiate... but you. This side of you... you might not believe it, but it's beautiful. Knowing that you had this side tucked away makes me feel even more-"

I stopped myself, my courage expended and my heart decided to take control of my body as it tried to jump through my chest cavity.

"Even more... what?"

I shook my head and turned away.

"...Those are strong words. And I don't know if you feel even remotely the same way..."

I looked up and attempted to speak again, only to be cut off by her finger on my lips. Her smile... somehow broke yet another barrier in genuine as she leaned closer.

"Shh..."

I didn't get to retort before she pulled my hands to her waist and walked so close, her body was touching mine. She then brought my head up to face her fully and leaned down, kissing my lips in one smooth motion. I couldn't move; my body turned to ice, my limbs refused to move from their current positions and my brain sent futile impulses to the rest of me when it wanted me to move and not sit there like a helpless statue. But... I couldn't. Because this moment was easily the most blissful of my life.

She wrapped both her arms behind my head and pulled herself closer, so much so that our bodies practically began to meld. She broke away very briefly at long intervals, to readjust her lips and turn her head a different way as she continued to send overwhelming amounts of warmth into every orifice of my body.

_"Is... is this what love feels like?"_

She finally broke away after what felt like months, but she didn't move a muscle, instead leaning her forehead on mine and smiling.

"...That's a thank you for being honest and real..."

No. I wasn't about to let it end this way. Gathering new courage, I pulled her back down to me. I barely gave her a chance to respond as I pulled her into my lap. She instantly straddled me with her legs and allowed me to hug her so closely, I could feel her bosom press against mine. I just had to get more of her... no matter what. For the first time in my life.

I threw caution to the wind. I didn't think about doing it... I just took the plunge.

And she clearly loved what I did as she began to kiss back furiously. Her hands went to my cheeks, stroking them ever so gently as she encouraged me to not restrain myself. It didn't take long for her to reach for my hands and guide them elsewhere. She brought them to her thighs and once I found a spot to hold, she returned them to the back of my neck. The kiss was getting intense, far more than I thought possible and though it pained me to do so, I tore myself away from her, gasping for some much needed air. She was panting too, her face now pink and flush with blood. I pecked her lips a few times more before letting out a breath.

"...I love you Oda Nobunaga."

She nodded against my forehead and gave me a bright, confident smile.

"I love you too Master Exxis!"

That warm feeling, deep in the bottom of my heart... perhaps that was what I've sought after my whole life. Because for the first time ever.

I didn't feel alone. I didn't feel like my life had no purpose or meaning. Now?

My purpose was to make her as happy a woman as I could... and if that would take the rest of my life to accomplish?

**So be it.**

 


	6. The Grand Knight (Max Bond)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The follow up to the chapter, The Grand Knight. Requested and done by popular demand. For any one shot that gets a sequel like this, I'll probably adopt the max bond in the title as a gimmick.
> 
> Needless to say, Mature content warning!

**Not Just My Master- Artoria Pendragon (Lancer)**

**The Grand Knight's Promise**

**~ o ~**

_Love need not speak volumes._

_It need not demand proof._

_It never has a happy ending._

_Simply because it doesn't end as long as love is pure and true._

**~ o ~**

 

"Artoria?" 

I entered my room and looked around to see that the lights were dimmed. 

 _"That's strange... I was sure she said she'd be in here. Because she wanted to have dinner. Where is she?"_  

I went into the bathroom to find the light off. The kitchen was empty... there was basically no sign of life. 

 _"Is... she okay?"_  

I then approached my bedroom... only to hear very light snores. I smiled to myself and entered the room, to find that the knight was asleep on my bed. She was dressed as if she was ready to go out to eat dinner... but she must've been exhausted from the mission we accomplished earlier today. I entered the room and sat next to her sleeping form. 

 _"...She looks so peaceful. Now that I think about it... I've never seen her sleep before. Working with her for almost two years and I'm just now seeing what it's like when she's at rest. Some boyfriend I am..."_  

She was wearing a denim skirt with a long sleeved button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. I felt terrible for making her wait so long, but the debriefing that Da Vinci had in mind took almost an hour. I guess I should've rushed that crazy inventor... but the last thing I wanted to do was to irritate her and spoil any chance of getting some time off. Not wanting to wake her, I leaned down and kissed her forehead gently. After giving her one last smile, I turned to leave, only to feel her hand grab onto mine.

"...Master Adrian?" 

I turned back to see that she had opened her eyes, and they were slightly red. 

"Hey... go back to sleep. We can have dinner tomorrow." I urged.  
"...I'm sorry. I guess our mission tired me out a lot more than I thought it did."  
"We struck a major blow to the enemy's efforts so you've more than earned the rest."

She shook her head and sat up, tugging subtly at my shirt sleeve. I took a seat, because I knew that this meant that she wanted to talk.

"Something on your mind?" I asked.  
"...Yes. I'm a little... curious." She mused.

I shook my head in confusion and shrugged.

"What about? Did something happen?"  
"No... nothing concerning Master. I just... well..."

She blushed profusely.

"We've... been together for four months now... and you've been nothing short of a gentleman to me. But... I must admit that I wish we could... well..."

I could see how flustered she was getting as she bit her lip.

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked.

She shook her head vigorously.

"No! Not at all! It's just... well... you remember what happened that day at the springs don't you?"

I blushed upon remembering how intense the night was, because it continued we returned to our room. However, I ensured to not lose control of myself... and my willpower has persisted for four months thus far. In that time, I didn't even think it was possible to get closer to Artoria... but somehow things still managed to escalate.

She no longer ate any of her meals in the cafeteria section of the facility, opting instead to eat with me in my room. Normally, I cooked everything but there were times where she asked if she could try her hand at it, and she went as far as to read several cookbooks and practice for weeks... just to be able to cook my favorite meals.

It was astounding; never in my wildest dreams would I ever think that the leader of the Knights Of The Round Table... would end up becoming shockingly similar to a housewife.

It was difficult to spend time together thanks to our increased activity for The Order and for the most part, our time as of late has been mostly for tasks and missions rather than rest and relaxation. Though we both undoubtedly knew that we wanted to be with each other and confessed how we truly felt... the four months somehow managed to play out as business as usual with her and I. I had the perks of getting to sleep with her whenever we actually had the time to go back to my quarters... and I suppose it was nice knowing that she cared about me that much... but we didn't truly get to express ourselves since that fateful night.

Now, we may have finally gotten the chance we needed.

"How could I forget? It was the happiest day of my life." I replied.  
"Well... we've been working non-stop and though I am very pleased with all of our progress thus far... I thought a lot about what you said before. About taking the time to rest and enjoy some free time." She explained.

I nodded in agreement, happy that she took my words to heart because she was likely the hardest worker of all of us.

"And what did you conclude?" I asked.  
"...Well. I took a liberty... I hope you're not angry at me." She said softly.

I shook my head, now confused at what she was getting at.

"What happened? Did you do something?"  
"I asked Lady Da Vinci to give us some time off... and I don't mean just us. I mean all of us, including the friends we've made these past few months."

My eyes widened.

"...And she agreed?" I retorted.  
"She did... she said that she would begin construction of a reality space where we could all relax and getaway... I believe she mentioned something about a tropical island?" She replied.

I smiled and nodded.

"...It would be good to spend some time with them. We've had a lot of close calls and we nearly lost a few... especially Raizo and Saint Martha." I mused.  
"He's become your best friend, if I may say so." She said with a smile.

I rolled my eyes... but nodded in agreement.

"He's been a good friend that's for sure... and we had to work together for that attack on Demon Mountain a few months ago as well." I said.

Artoria nodded and scooted a little closer to me.

"...I also asked her for some time off... starting tonight. We are excused from duty for the next week." She said.  
"...But why?"

She leaned closer and kissed my cheek before giving me a genuine smile.

"Because... I'm ready. For us to move onto the next stage of our relationship... you know by now how much I care for you Master Adrian... and I want to give you everything."

Before I could try to argue my point once more, she captured my lips. She broke away, taking my breath with her as she gave me a smile.

"...You've been civil to me and I know how much you want to be able to express our relationship openly... so let us take the next step?"

I felt conflicted, because half of me wanted nothing more than to remove her clothes and unleash the desire that I've hidden for the last several months... but I couldn't help but feel as if she felt pressured. It was true that I had friends who had already bridged the gap that we had yet to bridge ourselves... but I didn't want to make a single move until I knew for a fact that she was ready for it. Evidently, she gave this a tremendous amount of thought as unlike before, she didn't seem nervous in the slightest. If anything, she looked even more passionate and dedicated than she did before... if that was even possible.

"...Are you sure Artoria? You know that-"  
"I've thought about it for a long time Master... and I'm positive that I want this."

She placed a hand on my cheek and kissed my forehead before smiling at me.

"Could you give me a moment to freshen up? I prepared something for you." She requested.

At a loss for words, I nodded slowly as she got to her feet.

"Wait right here..."

She disappeared into the bathroom as I removed my jacket and took a deep breath.

_"...I guess this is happening..."_

My heart rate suddenly quadrupled as the reality of the situation was closing in on me. For a long time, I tried to drown out all trains of thought by getting lost in my word for The Grand Order. Whether it was my memories of home and how it fell to the shadows... or it was the friends that I had lost with it. Everything was much more bearable when I kept busy with helping humanity in whatever way I could. When I first became a mage, I didn't imagine for a moment that I would be so important to the Order, to the point where they entrust difficult tasks to me and my Servants. I also didn't imagine that I could've found a partner in Artoria Pendragon... and there wasn't even a thought given to being with her for so long. If I was being honest and realistic, I expected to meet my end long ago. I had survived so many encounters that would've resulted in the death of any other Master out there... but she was there.

She protected me, and I her. We were partners at first... but then we ended up becoming...

_" **Lovers**..."_

I let out a heavy breath as I thought towards the woman who was only being hidden by the bathroom door. Suddenly feeling really warm, I removed my shirt and my jeans... but found absolutely no alleviation.

_"...Maybe it really is okay... maybe I should allow myself to... feel all of this... haven't I been alone for long enough?"_

"Master?"

I broke from my thoughts and looked up. In the next second, my jaw nearly dropped and I knew that if I could see myself in a mirror, my face would be as red as a Christmas light.

Artoria had discarded her previous outfit... and stripped down to only a two piece set of underwear, exposing the vast majority of her skin to my unworthy eyes. The underwear was black, and had a pale pink rose lining across the bra and the top of the panties. This was all accompanied by a black, translucent shawl which didn't do much to hide her arms from my eyes. She tied her golden hair up, allowing me to see most of her collarbone unlike the last time where she kept it in a ponytail. Her absolutely incredible body was no longer hidden from view by steam... and I noticed just how voluptuous she really was. She had a massive bosom, though not large enough for it to be unattractive to me... and her figure was rock solid, though still managed to be feminine due to the curves and contours. Her face was flushed with red, evidently not used to me staring at her like a hungry lion.

"...Does this please you Master?" She asked.

Her tone sounded... timid. Not in a bad way... in fact, it sounded _**adorable**_.

I responded by nodding and holding a hand out to her. I managed to quell my heart as I was now fully sure of what I wanted.

_"I want to be with her for the rest of my life..."_

She approached me slowly and took my hand. I pulled her gently closer, and she responded by climbing into my lap, straddling me with her legs and placing her free hand on my cheek.

"...Master... **I love you**." She whispered.

I gave her the most genuine smile I could muster and I nodded.

"...I love you too Artoria..."

She wasted no more time and met my lips in a kiss, pressing her massive bosom into my chest along with her weight. I responded by grabbing onto her thighs and letting my hands explore freely, no longer worried that I was going too fast for her to manage. She clearly thought this through... and I wasn't about to disappoint her. Her skin was smooth and warm, she tasted like cherries and I could feel her heart pounding through her chest. Evidently, she was just as nervous as I was, but not in a way that would make her afraid. No... if anything, it was the good kind of nervous.

The kind that lets someone leap before they think too much.

I couldn't keep the weight up any longer and I collapsed to the bed. She broke away from me for a moment as she let the shawl fall off of her body, revealing more of her skin as she teased me by running her hands down her love handles. The simple gesture spurred me onwards as she came crashing down, clearly just as eager as I was to go further. Her hands locked around my neck and I could feel my manhood come to life upon realizing just how soft her bosom felt. Her warmth... it was so comforting, so welcoming...

_"She... she really is my woman now isn't she?"_

I kissed back as hard as I could in an attempt to match her passion and my hands became bolder, running across the fabric of her bra and sliding underneath to cop a feel. She moaned ever so softly. She broke away from my lips and smiled at me before nodding slowly.

"This body is yours Master... you can do whatever you want to it." She whispered.

I took that as my cue to unclasp her bra and once I did, she immediately used one of her hands to prevent it from falling. She bit her lower lip and averted her gaze.

"...It's not polite to stare." She said with an almost childish pout.

I shook my head and laughed nervously.

"My apologies... you're just so beautiful... it's mesmerizing." I choked out.

This meaningful words stuff... it was a whole new avenue for me. I guess after spending so much time alone, I'm still not used to having someone as close to me as she is. As if my words disarmed her self-consciousness, she let go of the bra, allowing it to fall to the bed as her breasts revealed themselves. Her bosom was likely her most distinguishing feature, at least as far as the other Masters were concerned when they saw her. If she wasn't wearing her signature knight's garb, which for some reason highlighted her massive chest, they would easily be able to recognize her from that alone.

They were quite perky, despite their size and even though she seemed alright with it before, she shrunk a little upon seeing my hungry eyes admiring them. I gently held one of them in my right hand and after giving her an assuring look, I covered the unattended one with my mouth. She sucked in a gulp of air and threw her hands around me, her head now resting on my shoulder as she started to squirm. Evidently, she wasn't ready for the assault of warm pleasure going through every orifice of her body right now.

"M-M-Master!" She moaned.

After assaulting the nipple for another minute, I swapped to the other one, eliciting the same response but with greater volume. Her grip was tight, but not uncomfortably so and sometimes, I was glad that she knew how to control her strength because she could easily snap me like a twig. Then again... I was probably the last man alive that she'd ever find a reason to do that to. I continued the slow torture, but let my free hand move down her stomach... before reaching her panties. The heat was already evident before I even slid beneath them and once I did...

_"...She's already **soaking** wet."_

I broke away from her breasts and the moment she leaned off my shoulder, I captured her lips and pushed forward, causing her to sink down to the bed and onto her back. She didn't resist, kissing back with feverish fervor with her hands just barely able to remain on my cheeks. After a few more moments of liplocking, I broke away and looked her in the eyes, before gazing down towards her womanhood. She got the message and nodded sheepishly. I kissed my way down to her panties, ensuring to linger on her stomach because I knew that she adored being touched there based on all of the close encounters we've had these past few months. I received angelic moans as a reward for my efforts. I felt terrible wanting to remove the panties because they looked so good on her... but I wanted this to be perfect. If I was going to make love to her, I was going to ensure I saw her in all of her glory.

After looking up at her to confirm she was comfortable with it, I drew the panties down her legs before tossing them aside to join the rest of the clothes. After looking at her womanhood for a brief moment and pinching myself mentally to ensure I wasn't in some kind of dream, I lowered my mouth and began to lick. I gently held onto her thighs and leaned forward, giving my head all of the space it needed to move. She responded by grabbing fistfuls of my hair and arching her back, crying out in euphoria as she urged me on by moaning my name. Even though this wasn't usually my thing, my only objective was to make her enjoy this to the fullest. I took a few cues from my friend Carleus, but this would be my first time making any practical use of his advice.

_"Don't get too wild... just enough to get her going but not intense enough to seem like a over eager teenager."_

I continued to taste her and for some reason, I began to understand what he said. It didn't sound at all like it would be pleasant... but upon hearing her say my name, feeling just how intense my actions were making her... knowing that I was the one giving her pleasure. It all added up and even though I wasn't sure what I was doing, I kept going. If it were any other case, I'd have not even bothered... but I had to try, just for her.

Several minutes later, I felt her thighs lock. Not enough to hurt me but enough to make my head unable to move and after a few more seconds, she cried out one more time and my face was suddenly drenched in her essence. After giving her womanhood a parting kiss, I looked up to see that her face was completely flushed with red. She was panting heavily, though her eyes didn't break away from mine for even a moment. She smiled and let out one last heavy breath as she looked to my boxers and nodded slightly. I lowered them and kicked them off to complete the pile of discarded clothing before I made my way to her lips once more. However, before I could kiss her, she opened her mouth to speak.

"...Master... please... don't keep me in suspense... you've done an amazing job thus far..."

Clearly, the desire I had ended up creating within her had completely overridden her love of kissing. All that was on her mind now was for me to complete the act. With a final breath, I positioned myself and looked back up at her once more. She gave me assurance with a smile and placing a hand on my cheek. Now sure of myself, I sheathed my length completely inside of her. She sucked in a sharp breath and it took her a moment to adjust to the new sensation; her hands grabbed fistfuls of the sheets and her face winced in a mad mix of pain and pleasure. Fearing that I had done something wrong, I tried to pull out but she gently held my arm and shook my head.

"...It has been a very long time since I have done this... just give me a moment to adapt. This pain is nothing in comparison to the pleasure..."

I reluctantly obeyed her and thrust back forward. It took several exploratory movements until I found a force that didn't seem painful for her, but not gentle enough for her to not feel anything. Satisfied with my discovery, I began to pump in and out of her. With every collision of our flesh, with every frantic gasp and grunt, I made love to Artoria.

Considering that she had silenced herself for most of the encounter, I hoped I wasn't disappointing her and that she wasn't feeding me a compliment in order to save my pride. It took a few more moments until I saw no pain in her face, now replaced by intoxicating euphoria. She shut her eyes tightly and gritted her teeth as she flung her arms around me and pulled me down to get another kiss. I didn't relent my assault on her womanhood and I continued for as long as my body would allow me to... until I began to tire. Times like this, I wish I wasn't just a mere human. If I were as strong and durable as she was... I could give her far more. However, as if she sensed my body reaching its limit, she placed a hand on my chest and smiled.

"It is my turn to satisfy you Master... now please relax."

She pushed up, causing me to back into the wall until my back was fully against it. She adjusted her body, straddling me in a manner similar to the way we began it all except this time, she held my length in her hand. She positioned it at her entrance and once I entered her, she pushed me back into the wall and crushed my lips with hers. She then began to ride me and suddenly, my limbs refused to respond. My arms wanted nothing more than to tease her breasts... but my brain's impulses were futile due to the overwhelming amount of pleasure she was sending through my body with each and every grind. It was so intense that I felt my senses shake slightly with every single bump.

She didn't stop kissing me and she pulled my hands onto her thighs. I squeezed them hard, suddenly feeling my arms again when they were nowhere to be found a few moments ago. She continued for several minutes, breaking the kiss every now and again to vent the pleasure she too was feeling by moaning aloud or focusing her attention on pounding me into blissful oblivion. Several century long minutes later, she finally stopped and I could feel her walls tightening. I too felt near my limit and I tried to pull out, but she was immediately back at attention upon realizing my intention.

"No... I want this to be as if we were husband and wife... I will accept it all." She whispered.

I nodded and released my efforts, now feeling my climax arriving. She looked up and cried out as her walls tightened hard enough to actually begin to squeeze my length. At the same time, I grunted loudly as I spilled myself inside of her. It took several seconds for the feeling to pass and once it did, it felt as if I had used all of my mana all over again. Exhausted and not feeling much left in my body, I kissed her lips once more and hugged her to me, my face burying itself into her breasts.

"...Guess it's official now isn't it?" I asked.

She laughed softly and nodded against my head.

"It is indeed." She replied.  
"...Did I keep you waiting too long Artoria?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"I'm amazed that you didn't lose control of yourself... because I was trying very hard to let you know it was alright for the last two months." She replied.

I sighed deeply and nodded.

"...I'm sorry." I said.  
"Don't apologize Master Adrian... because this night couldn't have been more perfect for me. For a man who has never felt the embrace of a woman before... you are quite talented." She said with a hearty laugh.  
"I didn't know what I was doing... but the only thing that mattered to me was if you felt good."  
"And you most certainly succeeded in that endeavor." 

I laughed nervously before looking to the clock above us. It was only 10 PM. Knowing that we didn't have duty tomorrow, I shrugged.

"...After we rest a little, why don't we watch a movie?" I asked.  
"So long as you make that snack... what is it called again?"  
"Popcorn?"

She laughed, a little embarrassed that she was unable to remember the name of it.

"Yes. I also took the liberty of making that chocolate dessert in the last cookbook I read... I believe it is called a 'brownie'?"

I raised an eyebrow and immediately looked up at her.

"You're the best you know that?" I asked.

She giggled and smiled brightly.

"You aren't just my Master anymore Adrian... you are everything to me. And if you'll have me... I'd love to be your woman."

I nodded.

"Of course. I'd have it no other way."


	7. The Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gets a bit steamy, but I think everyone can read this. No mature content for this one ^.^
> 
> F/F warning if you're not into that however.

**Not Just My Master- Minamoto-No Raikou (Berserker)**

 

_A mother’s love is peace._

_It need not be acquired._

_It need not be deserved._

 - __Erich Fromm__

**~ o ~**

“Is that all you need from me Da Vinci?” I asked.

“Yes Lilly. That’s all the data I needed. Thank you for your time.” Replied the inventor. 

I sighed in sweet relief as I removed the device from my wrist and handed it back to her. 

“Everything you did will help us train new Masters. I’m glad that you ended up being a prodigy because you’ll serve as a great example of what any of them can become if they work hard.” She continued.  
“I don’t know about that whole role model thing, but I appreciate the compliment. Is there anything else?” I asked as I turned to the door.

She must’ve sensed how eager I was to leave, considering that she woke me up very early and I didn’t get a chance to eat any breakfast.  
  
"Yes. Go ahead. I’ll have Mashu contact you if I need anything else.” She replied.  
“Alright. I’ll be in my room.” 

I quickly left Da Vinci’s laboratory and made my way towards my quarters, thankful that I’d finally be able to get something to eat. My mind hovered on the missions I had to undertake yesterday, and how thankful I was that nothing bad happened despite the odds being against me. 

 _“Guess I have Raikou to thank for that… she always looks out for me.”_  

I was a Master for less than a year and one fateful day, I happened to attempt a summon without any catalysts. Instead, I left it to the Holy Grail to decide who was to be my next Servant. Though I had bonded with a few of them, I didn’t find one that really clicked with me. It was then, as if the Grail knew my plight, that they blessed me with the Servant that I now called my closest friend, Minamoto-No Raikou. At first, I didn’t think I’d get along with her considering I knew who she was. 

She was well known as a Servant of the highest caliber, sought after by many Masters due to her sheer power, as well as… **_other_ ** features.

If there was one thing I couldn’t stand, it’s being told what to do, especially by someone who always believes me to be inferior to them. However, Raikou quickly proved me wrong by not only showing that she acknowledges my own skills and intelligence, but by supporting it as well. There were numerous times where I set out to some of the Singularities in order to gather resources for the Grand Order and she would accompany me, even if she didn’t lift a finger in combat just to ensure I was fine. I would take some of my other Servants with me and after each and every battle, like the mother she is, she would ensure that all of us were in perfect condition. Her maternal instincts were so strong that sometimes, I really began to feel as if I were her daughter in another lifetime. 

She somehow managed to make me feel comfortable, never truly lecturing me but instead, offering insight. She was incredibly wise, far beyond any Servant I had encountered before and she was never overbearing. Sure, she was a bit overprotective and she tended to pamper me a bit, but she didn’t try to tell me what kind of path to walk. She didn’t tell me what to do as a Master and most importantly, she didn’t try to steer me on some kind of moral path. 

By all intents and purposes, she shouldn’t be a good person. She was a demon after all, and the company that she’s typically associated with tended not to be the nice kind, like Shuten Douji for example. Just about everything that one could imagine that would play against her good intentions was there… but despite it all, she didn’t care what others saw her as. Only what I saw. 

I finally arrived at my room and upon entering, I was greeted to the scent of…

_“...Chocolate cake?”_

“Oh! Mistress! You have returned! I thought you would’ve been longer… I was not prepared for that.” 

The ever familiar voice of Berserker filled my ears and almost as if it had some kind of magic spell over me, all the frustration I felt with Da Vinci disappeared. I continued forward until I arrived at the small kitchen, where I found Raikou washing some dishes. She was dressed in casual attire, comprised of a thick, lavender sweater that had a very thick collar. To accompany it, she wore a violet skirt that stretched down to her calves. It was all covered by a pink apron, with a pair of flowers drawn at the bottom left end of it. Her hair was insanely long, but she somehow managed to tie a very beautiful red ribbon towards the end of it, which barely hovered over the ground. Raikou was a tall woman, but I was only a mere two inches shorter than she was. 

“R-R-Raikou? What are you doing?” I asked. 

She turned back to me and gave me a sheepish smile. 

“I thought I would do something nice for you today dear… because it’s been one year since you and I met. I took the liberty of making you breakfast and I remembered our conversation a few weeks ago, about how you’d love to have a freshly baked cake.” She replied. 

Her smile brightened as she approached me and kissed my forehead. I blushed profusely before turning to the small table, where she indeed had laid out a very elegant breakfast. I knew that Raikou was incredibly intelligent, but I didn’t think that her expertise extended to cooking as well. Normally, I was the one who cooked whenever it was time to eat, that or we went to the cafeteria area in Chaldeas. This… was something I didn’t expect at all. 

She made a bowl of scrambled eggs, covered with cheese, scallions and peppers. Next to it was a stack of six pancakes and a small cup of what appeared to be syrup. There was an empty plate on one side of it as well as a steaming mug and an empty glass. Finally, there was a bowl of fresh fruit. Clearly, she wanted me to feel special today. I smiled at her and nodded. 

“Thank you Rai-- I mean… _mother_.” 

I had nearly forgotten about the another conversation, where she asked me to refer to her as mother or mom. It was… strange to say the least and even after four months of trying, I still couldn’t call her that instinctively. Upon hearing mother, Raikou blushed and narrowed her eyes. 

“I’m almost finished with this cake. I read extensively on home cooking for the past few weeks and I wanted to try my hand at it. I hope you don’t mind dear.” She said.

Her face looked genuinely worried, concerned that she may have gone a bit overboard. That was just like her though; always going above and beyond as she saw herself as everyone’s mother. 

“Not at all. I appreciate all of what you’ve done mother… but I want to start something new today.” I began. 

I didn’t feel afraid, because I had given this enough thought to not be daunted by the consequences. I knew that above all else, Raikou’s greatest wish was for me to be happy and she would do just about anything for that to happen. She smiled at me and bowed respectfully.

“What do you wish of me Mistress?” She asked.  
“For starters, I’d like you to join me for breakfast. You went through so much trouble of cooking all of this, so I want you to get a plate and sit across from me. Let’s eat together.” I said. 

She was clearly caught off guard, as her eyes widened. However, she renewed her smile and nodded. 

“Of course I will! Thank you for thinking about me dear.” She replied.  
“That’s the next thing. I want you to start calling me by my real name. Do you think you can manage that?” 

That question, caught her by surprise as her smile faded and turned into a look of disbelief. To assure her that she didn’t do anything wrong, I offered her a smile.

“I appreciate how close we are, but I do have a name and I’d appreciate it being used. I will always be your dear and you will always be my mother, but I haven’t heard a single person call me by name in so long… seeing as you are the one closest to me, I’d love it if you could do that.” I pleaded.

She laughed softly and nodded once more. 

“Alright. I will try to refer to you as Lilly more often. It is such a habit of me calling you Mistress or my dear that it will take a while for me to break out of it… I hope-”  
“Mother. You don’t have to ask me if anything’s okay or if anything is alright with me. As long as it’s you, it’s perfectly fine.” I interrupted. 

She seemed extremely appreciative of my words as she reached into the cupboard and removed a plate. She then joined me around the table and we began to eat.

I told her everything about what Da Vinci had me do this morning, concerning the plans I helped to draft and the data she used my Mana to collect. At first, Raikou was suspicious because she knew that the inventor wasn’t exactly the most subtle of scientists and often took things to whole new extremes. However, I was able to talk her down and wipe the concern away, allowing her to for once, enjoy herself as a person instead of as a mother. She had grown close enough to me to sleep in the same bed with me and we shared just about everything together. Whether it was watching a movie, going to the beach to soak up some sun or even just having a heart to heart conversation, she knew everything about me and I her. However… I begun to see her in a different light. 

She wasn’t just a mother to me anymore. She was my best friend, my confidant, the one whose shoulder I cried on whenever times were tough and the one who I trusted my life most with. She never let me down, not even once and if she ever came close, she would always pull through. That level of closeness… it almost felt like intimacy. 

I didn’t know if she saw me as anything but her daughter, but I knew that from this day forward, I would never be able to look at her as just my Servant or my mother. No… she was a woman. A beautiful woman, likely the most beautiful I’ve ever laid eyes upon. I wanted to know more… to feel more. Things as they were right now… were just not enough.

It took us about an hour to finish our breakfast and as she tried to take the plates to wash them, I stopped her.

“You’ve done enough for the morning Mom. I’ll do the washing this time.” I said. 

She tried to get me to reconsider, so I used my secret weapon: I gave her a hug. If there was one thing that could get Minamoto-No Raikou to give up on a point, it was to show her genuine affection. Just as I hoped, she hugged me back and laughed softly. 

“I suppose I could take a break this time… but don’t you dare help me with the cake!” She said in an almost giddy tone.  
“I won’t lift a finger Mom. I promise.” 

She finally gave in and took a seat, though she kept her watchful eyes on me as I cleaned up. After a few minutes, I heard the bell go off. 

“Oh! It’s finished!” 

She sprang to her feet and quickly opened the oven, filling the room with the intoxicating scent of chocolate. She removed it before taking a huge whiff of her creation. 

“I hope it tastes as delicious as it smells.” She mused. 

After she placed the cake down, she removed her apron and turned to me with a smile. 

“Go and have a shower dear. By the time you return, the cake will be cool and ready to eat.” She said. 

I nodded and quickly made my way to the bathroom. As I let the warm water run down my naked back, I thought about everything concerning my feelings toward her. It was difficult to say how she would react, because for all I knew, she could jolly well only see me as a daughter figure and could never grow to see me as anything more than that. It was a scary thought, because even though she would still never leave my side, it would make things very awkward.

_“So do I keep it in? Do I hide it until I can be sure?... or do I just suck it up and hope another person comes along who I could genuinely be with.”_

My thoughts drifted to some of my friends, who were actually involved in romantic relationships with their Servants. However, none of them shared the same kind of relationship I had with Raikou. Raikou did much more for me than the average Servant because her care and love was all encompassing. After all, someone whose wish on the Grail was to fill the world with maternal love, was not to be underestimated. 

I had no doubt that she would listen to everything I would say to her… but the only mystery would be her reaction. How would she take it that I’ve allowed my feelings to progress more? Would she accept them without qualms? Would it change everything? And what about how it could affect battle. Being that emotionally involved with her could affect my judgement and make terrible decisions. 

So many things ran through my mind… but I knew that I had to confront her about this. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to sleep another night unless I told her how I felt. 

After ensuring I was clean, I dressed myself in some shorts and a t-shirt before making my way back to the kitchen. Surely enough, Raikou was still there, now apparently finishing the cake off with some chocolate icing. Considering the large bowl on the counter, she must’ve made the icing during the time I was in the shower. I waited for her to finish before making my presence known. She was startled upon seeing me, but smiled. 

“You’re just in time. You can have the first slice!” She cheered. 

She took a cloth from the counter and wiped her face clean of sweat before reaching for a plate. 

“Mom… I need to talk to you about something. Could we save the cake for later?” I asked. 

She looked at me, now genuinely curious before nodding. 

“Of course! Is everything alright?” She asked. 

I beckoned her to follow me into my bedroom and took a seat. Once I sat down, she hesitated for a moment, but sat next to me. 

“...You’re scaring me dear. Did something bad happen? Do we have a task to handle in the Singularities?” She asked. 

I shook my head. 

“No… nothing like that. I just wanted to talk to you about something that’s been on my mind for a few months now. Since we haven’t had any real free time, I figured right now is better than waiting for another chance.” I explained. 

She let out a sigh of relief, her maternal worries clearly subsiding for now as she smiled. 

“What’s on your mind dear?” She asked. 

I sighed deeply and shook my head. 

“...What am I to you?” I asked. 

Raikou’s face softened and for the first time in a while, it became serious. Though I could tell that she was happy, she evidently knew that I wanted to take this conversation seriously. She had no idea where I was going with this, but she knew that she could make light of the situation as she typically did. 

“Is there a reason this is happening?” She asked.  
“I just want to know Mom. Because… you’ve become something else entirely to me since the day we met over a year ago. I just wanted to know what I mean to you, and how you see me.” I continued. 

She drew in a breath and her hands went to her chest, almost as if she were trying to negate some anxiety. 

“You’re the person who means the most to me. I always have the notion that any Master who I am summoned and bound to is someone I was destined by fate itself to be with. From the moment I arrived, I knew that you were something special Lilly.” She began. 

That was the first time she ever used my real name… and it caused my heart rate to increase drastically. It felt very good to hear her say it, especially since she knew that I wanted her to be serious about this discussion. 

“You and I have gotten very close. To the point where I would gladly give my life if it means keeping you safe. There isn’t a force, natural or unnatural, that can keep me away from you. The only way I will ever leave your side is if you wish for me to. I see myself as your mother and I care for you as if you were my own flesh and blood… my own daughter.” 

She placed a hand on my cheek and smiled at me. 

“I **love** you. More than anyone else alive and there’s nothing I won’t do for you if you ask it of me. But I suppose that’s the next question you’re going to ask isn’t it?” She inferred. 

I nodded and held her hand before letting out a heavy breath. I gathered my courage before looking her dead in the eyes.

“Let me start by saying that I appreciate everything you’ve done for me… I’ve cherished each and every moment we’ve had together, all the good and the bad.” I began.

I then recalled a rather humorous time where Raikou got jealous of Da Vinci. She walked into the laboratory to find that Da Vinci hugged me out of joy and celebration, after she had just finished a project she was working on for months and I just so happened to be there. She never pressed the issue further, but I could tell that she was jealous that someone else was giving me affection and not her. But that’s the way she was. She was like the most needy mother on the planet… and it was one of the things I loved about her. If I ever needed a hug, a kiss or just a comforting presence, I could count on her every time. 

“But… lately. I have to say that yes, you’re still a mother to me… but I’ve begun to see you in a different light.” I explained.

She flinched for a moment, her face looking slightly scared. 

“I… didn’t scare you with something did I? Was I too harsh? Was I-” 

I rubbed her hand to calm her down and she immediately picked up on my mood, which was quite amused. 

“No. You’ve been nothing but the best mother a girl could ask for. You know that I love you dearly… but the problem I face is that I’ve begun to feel… **_more_ **.” 

She looked at me with disbelief. 

“...What do you mean by that?” 

Now was my chance. Now was the moment to tell her everything. After steeling my nerves and swallowing some air I closed my eyes tightly. 

“I can’t just see you as my mother anymore Raikou. Because I need more from you. I can’t see you as just the woman who nurses me back to health whenever I’m sick or the woman who looks out for me like I’m her daughter… no. I’ve begun to see you as... **a woman**.” 

It only took her moments to realize what I was getting at and I immediately saw a deep crimson blush in her cheeks.

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. You’re the sweetest person I’ve ever known. You look out for everyone as if they were your own family… and I can’t help but fall in love with that. I tried very hard to only see you as my mother… but I can’t do it anymore. Not when I spend this kind of time with you.” 

I squeezed her hand and I could feel my heart trying to break through my chest cavity, but I wasn’t about to stop there. I lowered my head to hide my nervous face from her as I continued to let the emotions spill from within. 

“What I’m trying to say is that I see you as not just my mother… you’re my closest friend, the only one I’ve ever felt so strongly for and I want things to… **_grow_ ** between us.”

I felt her flinch once more, but I didn’t look up to see her face. 

“...I understand if you don’t want things to change and I don’t either if it’s for the worse. If you want everything to remain as it is, that’s fine by me. But I wasn’t about to go another day without telling you just how much I love you Raikou.” 

Her breathing quickened and I was ready to hear her reject my request. However, she used her free hand to bring my face up to look at her.

“...You don’t know how happy it makes me to know how much you appreciate me Lilly. My sole purpose is to make you happy and to protect you with all I have… I… I hadn’t given my feelings any thought out of fear of making a mistake and destroying the bond we share. But… I understand your feelings. And I will not reject them because my love for you is unconditional and extends to all aspects of the word, not just as your mother.”

She smiled at me, though her face was still red. 

“...I don’t have an answer to your request. And that doesn’t mean it’s a no… it means that I need some time to process everything you’ve said to me. Do you understand?” She asked.

Feeling disappointment begin to set in, I nodded as I felt tears begin to tug at my eyes. However, before I could say another word, Raikou scooted closer to me and kissed my cheek. She then laughed softly. 

“I’m so overjoyed at how much you care about me Lilly. The happiness I feel right now is indescribable… and I don’t want you to feel as if you did something wrong because you didn’t. I should’ve thought about exactly what you mean to me sooner… I just didn’t have a reason to beforehand. But one thing I will say for certain… is that I’m **not** opposed to the idea of being with you.” 

She then got to her feet and bowed respectfully. 

“Come! Let us celebrate!” She cheered. 

That was just like Raikou, able to bounce back from a serious situation to something fun and warm. She held my hand and led me to the kitchen where she walked up to the counter, only releasing my hand when she turned around to cut the cake. 

“How big of a slice would you like?” She asked. 

I cursed under my breath, angry at myself for not being more assertive. 

_“No… I’m not waiting. Not anymore. At the very least, this woman is going to know that I’m dead serious about my feelings and that I’m not just some child who decided to confess a crush.”_

“Raikou…” I whispered. 

She turned around after placing the knife down and before she could answer, I stood on my tip toes and caught her lips in a kiss. She stiffened immediately and her hands went to my stomach. At first, she tried to push me off with an extremely miniscule effort… but as if my kiss had cast some kind of spell over her, she slowly eased herself into the moment. I deepened the kiss, relishing in how incredible her lips tasted and how soft they were. My head filled to the brim with endorphins, immediately putting me on cloud nine as my hands went to her waist. She responded turning her head slightly to the left and kissing back, no longer afraid of the contact like she was mere seconds ago. Her waist felt perfect for me to hold onto and as I leaned closer, I felt her massive bosom against my chest. Somehow, it drove me even more insane. 

My hands unconsciously pulled her away from the sink and brought her to the left, where the counter was empty. I pushed her gently and she responded by sitting on top of it and throwing her arms around my neck. Her legs wrapped around me, but did not lock in order to give me the freedom to move. My tongue rubbed against her lips and she soon granted me entrance as our passionate kiss turned into an intense battle between our tongues. She had given in fully to the passion and now, I knew that she was always alright with becoming my lover… but she just had no idea of how to approach me to do it. So rather than to risk it, she chose to remain as my mother. She would have rathered a world where I was her daughter than to destroy that bond and not have me at all. 

After several, yearlong minutes, I broke away to look her in the eyes. The smile I saw, was the most genuine one I had ever seen on her face. 

“You… did what I **_couldn’t_ ** . You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to do something like that… but I was so afraid of losing what we have. And I would be a horrible mother if I forced you into something you didn’t want to-”  
“Mom… please stop talking. You worry too much.” 

She smiled at me. 

“...As you wish dear.”

 


End file.
